Michael Jackson biopic undergoes major reshoots amid behind-the-scenes drama

The highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic, Michaelhas hit a major roadblock as the production team prepares for extensive reshoots of the film’s third act.

This all comes about because of a long-forgotten Jackson family deal that now comes back to haunt the project.

According to Puck’s What I’m Hearing newsletter, the controversy centers on the film’s depiction of the 1993 molestation allegations made by 13-year-old Jordan Chandler.

The current version of the film portrays Jackson as “naive” and the victim of opportunistic individuals with unfounded claims. Belloni has also noted in previous reporting that the biopic “deals directly with the allegations against Jackson” and leans heavily towards portraying his innocence.

It turns out that the Jackson family had previously signed an agreement promising to never include the Chandler family in any film about the late pop star.

This deal, which somehow got out of hand during the development and production of the script, threw the film into chaos.

As Belloni reports: “The agreement was overlooked during the development and review of the script,” leaving the creative team to struggle to rework the story.

The agreement resurfaced when the Financial times revealed that Jackson’s lawyer, John Branca (played in the film by Miles Teller), made several secret cash payments to accusers following the release of the controversial HBO film Leaving Neverland documentary in 2019.

That documentary contained accusations from Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who are still fighting Jackson’s estate in court.

With this new legal mine exploding, producer Graham Kingdirector Antonio Fuquaand screenwriter John Logan they are rewriting key parts of the film to honor the agreement and avoid further backlash.

The revamped script will soon be submitted to Lionsgate, leaving the studio with the difficult decision of whether to greenlight the expensive reshoots or abandon the project altogether.

The film is said to be “an in-depth portrait of a complicated man who became the king of pop. It will bring Jackson’s most iconic performances to life as it provides an informed insight into the entertainer’s artistic process and personal life.”

Movie stars Jaafar Jackson like his uncle. King said of him: “With Jaafar, every look, every note, every dance step is Michael. He embodies Michael in a way that no other actor could.”

Fuqua added: “We’ve assembled an incredible team of artists for this project – hair and makeup, costumes, cinematography, choreography, lighting, everything – and some who knew and worked with Michael are coming together for this film.

“But the most important thing is Jaafar who embodies Michael. It goes beyond physical resemblance. It is Michael’s spirit that emerges in a magical way. You have to experience it to believe it.

Fuqua continued by talking about the story they want to tell with the film: “Just to tell the facts as we know them, about the artist, about the man, about the human being. You know, the good, the bad and the ugly. It was previously reported that the film would not shy away from the controversies of Jackson’s life, highlighting the musical achievements of his career.

Joining Jackson in the film is a 9-year-old boy Juliano Krue Valdiwho will play a young version of Michael. The film’s screenplay was written by John Loganwho previously wrote films such as Gladiator AND THE Aviator.

The film was supposed to be released on April 18, 2025, but that will likely change.