“Michael,” the story of Michael Jackson’s rise to superstardom, was supposed to begin with one of the darkest chapters of his life in media coverage. In one scene from the film’s original script, the King of Pop stares at himself in a mirror, his sad gaze captured as police car lights flash behind him. The year is 1993, 10 years after Thriller took culture by storm, and Jackson has just been accused of child molestation.
But the scene of investigators arriving at Neverland Ranch to search for evidence is one of many left on the cutting room floor. “Michael,” which Lionsgate will release in the U.S. on April 24, is set to explore the impact of the allegations on Jackson’s life, with much of its third act devoted to the scandal. But sources familiar with the production say that final episode was scrapped along with mention of child sexual abuse accusations. This came after lawyers for Jackson’s estate, who served as producers, discovered that a clause in the settlement with Jordan Chandler, one of Jackson’s accusers, included a clause forbidding Jackson from being depicted or mentioned in any film.
The late-stage discovery sent the filmmakers back to the drawing board to come up with a new ending. The process was further delayed because screenwriter John Logan’s home was damaged in the Palisades fire. As a result, “Michael,” which was scheduled to be released in theaters on April 18, 2025, was postponed to October 3, and the final episode was moved to spring 2026.
Last June, the cast reunited for 22 days of additional filming to shoot a new third act and flesh out the film’s early scenes. Production, which had been primarily in Santa Barbara, resumed in Los Angeles, but was not eligible for state tax rebates. Sources familiar with similar projects said this added $10 million to $15 million to the budget. (“Michael” was greenlit for $155 million.) Jackson’s estate paid for those extra costs because the mistake necessitated changes, people said. Another person familiar with the production said the estate held a stake in the film because it was prepared to pay for it.
Now, instead of “Michael” ending with one of the most ignominious moments of Jackson’s career, it ends with the pop star still at his peak. Sources who have seen the finished film say the final scene is set during Jackson’s Bad tour and follows Jackson as he prepares to take the stage for another shocking performance. Indeed, the film leans heavily toward Jackson’s music, featuring one hot topic after another, and strays away from his occasionally bizarre personal behavior (Michael includes a sweet moment where Jackson buys toys for hospitalized children). In the new version, the dramatic tension comes from the singer’s relationship with his domineering father Joe Jackson, who is unwilling to sacrifice his son’s solo career at the expense of the Jackson 5, the Motown group that made the family famous. The film also depicts Jackson’s recovery from severe scalp burns sustained in a fireworks accident while filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984, including the painkillers he began abusing around that time. Michael Jackson is played by his real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson, and Joe is played by Coleman Domingo. Another source said the actor’s famous sister, Janet Jackson, is not a character in the film.
Jackson’s attorney John Branca and estate archivist Karen Langford were consulted on production decisions, and the pop star’s son Prince, an executive producer, was also on site daily. The artist’s other two children, Bigi and Paris, are not involved.
Although Jackson is one of the most popular musicians in history, he remains a controversial figure. His estate is aware of the shadow cast by multiple child abuse allegations against the singer, according to knowledgeable executives. Jackson always maintained his innocence.
But the estate received a boost from the global success of the jukebox musical “MJ,” which opened on Broadway in 2022 and began a U.S. tour in 2023. The show, which ended neatly just before the 1993 allegations were revealed, gave Mr. Jackson’s team confidence that the public would view him sympathetically. It is one of only four new musicals still in production since the pandemic, and has grossed more than $300 million at the Broadway box office. The estate also considered the popularity of the Cirque du Soleil show “One” and the 2009 concert film “This Is It.”
Back in 2024, producer Graham King told CinemaCon exhibitors that he had spent years preparing the film, interviewing hundreds of people who knew Jackson when deciding how to condense his life into one film. The original cut was over three and a half hours long, so King wants to make “Michael” a two-part story. Lionsgate and Universal (which oversees international distribution) believe they have enough material to make at least one more movie. The studio has indicated that approximately 30% of the scrapped material from Michael could be recomposed for a potential sequel. It’s unclear how the upcoming film will deal with the legal battle and abuse allegations that consumed much of Jackson’s later years. Mr. King told the studio that he would focus on the singer’s subsequent albums, including 1991’s “Dangerous” and 2001’s “Invincible,” the purchase and construction of Neverland Ranch and his “love for animals.”
These discussions may quickly become heated. Early estimates suggest that “Michael” will gross more than $55 million domestically, surpassing 2018 blockbuster “Bohemian Rhapsody” ($51 million). Initial ticket sales are likely to rise further as the release date approaches. Bohemian Rhapsody, which grossed a whopping $910 million worldwide, was released before the pandemic, so direct comparisons are difficult. And post-COVID music biopics like “A Complete Unknown” and “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” were smaller productions.
Inside the studio, they hope “Michael” will gross at least $700 million worldwide. If “Michael” reaches such heights, Jackson might moonwalk across the screen again — ideally without any headaches behind the scenes.
