Michael Jackson Biopic Could Be Scrapped After It Has Finished Shooting Over Scenes Discussing 13-Year-Old Alleged Abuse Victim

The highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, is reportedly facing significant delays due to legal disputes surrounding its portrayal of the late pop star’s life.

The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, was initially set for an October 2025 release but may require extensive reshoots due to legal constraints related to dramatizing certain events.

The film’s third act focuses heavily on the 1993 allegations brought by then-13-year-old Jordan Chandler. Michael Jackson settled with the Chandlers out of court for a reported $23 million, and he was never charged. The Jackson estate signed an agreement prohibiting them from dramatizing the Chandler family’s story, potentially rendering several key scenes unusable.

“In the script I read – which I’m told was close to final, but obviously these things are often revised – a tense sequence involves Branca (Teller), Johnnie Cochran (Derek Luke), and other Jackson lawyers discussing whether to pay off Chandler and his family,” journalist Matthew Belloni reported.

Belloni added, “At one point, the lawyers play the infamous recording, submitted in court, of Jordan’s father threatening to leverage his son’s accusations to ‘destroy’ his ex-wife and Jackson’s career.”

The legal issue came to light only after filming had wrapped, creating potential financial hurdles for the production, which reportedly has a budget of around $150 million. Universal Pictures now faces a decision on whether to invest in costly reshoots or reconsider the project’s future.

Despite the challenges, sources close to the film suggest they are “confident” and “hopeful” that the issues will be resolved before the intended release date.

The film, written by John Logan and produced by Graham King alongside Jackson estate executors John Branca and John McClain, aims to present Jackson’s life story “as we know it, about the artist, about the man, about the human being,” according to Fuqua.

Jaafar Jackson’s casting has been praised for its stunning resemblance to his uncle. Fuqua previously stated, “It’s uncanny how much he’s like Michael. Sounds like him, dances like him, sings. It’s really uncanny.”

Controversy surrounding the project has persisted. Dan Reed, who directed Leaving Neverland, a documentary chronicling Jackson’s alleged abuse, criticized the film, calling it a “complete whitewash” of the allegations against Jackson. The Jackson estate continues to deny the abuse allegations, and Jackson was acquitted of all charges in 2005.