The high-profile biopic Michael is reportedly in jeopardy, with its third act deemed legally unusable. Directed by Training Day filmmaker Antoine Fuqua, with Gladiator screenwriter John Logan penning the script, the Michael Jackson musical drama is set to be released by Lionsgate on October 3. The cast includes Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s nephew, in the lead role. Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Kat Graham, Larenz Tate, and Derek Luke also star.
In his What I’m Hearing newsletter for Puck, journalist Matt Belloni reveals that Lionsgate’s Michael biopic faces significant peril on how it will directly address the 1993 allegations of child Sєxual abuse against Michael Jackson, making it a core focus of the story. Los Angeles resident Evan Chandler accused the singer of abusing his 13-year-old son Jordan.
The allegations led to a criminal investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and an eventual lawsuit from the Chandlers against Jackson, with two sides agreeing to a financial settlement in January 1994. The aftermath of that lawsuit is now hanging over the upcoming musical biopic, calling its release into question.
The New Troubles Facing The Michael Biopic, Explained
The Film’s Third Art Is A Source Of Controversy
The issue starts with the fact that, unlike other Michael Jackson projects, the biopic puts the spotlight on the allegations of Sєxual abuse against the late singer. John Branca and John McClain, the executors of the Michael Jackson estate, are involved with the upcoming film. According to Belloni, who has seen the script, Michael paints the picture that its main subject is innocent of the allegations he faced.
Jackson and his estate have denied the allegations, and the singer went on trial for separate child Sєx abuse allegations in 2005 but was found not guilty.
The film begins and ends with the 1993 investigation into Jordan Chandler’s claims, seemingly using it as a way to structure the narrative. The biopic, according to Belloni, “depicts Jackson as the naïve victim of the money-grubbing Chandlers.” The third act, especially, sees Branca (played by Miles Teller), Johnnie Cochran (played by Derek Luke), and the rest of Jackson’s lawyers debating whether to just pay off Jordan Chandler and his family. This includes playing a recording where Jordan’s father threatens to use his son’s accusations as a way of destroying his ex-wife and ruining Jackson’s career.
A crucial part of the story, and key scenes, which are already sH๏τ, won’t be able to be used for the movie.
The film heavily focuses on the investigation, featuring a moment where Michael goes through a strip search. The issue is that, years before the Michael biopic was greenlit, Jackson’s team agreed that they would not include the Chandlers in any movie. The report cites two sources that specifically state that there is a signed agreement with the Chandlers that prohibits any dramatization of them or their experiences. The estate overlooked the deal during the vetting of the biopic’s script. It means a crucial part of the story, and key scenes, which are already sH๏τ, won’t be able to be used for the movie.
Three sources mention that Branca ᴀssured lead producer Graham King and the rest of the Michael team that no issues prevented the biopic from moving forward. However, according to the reporting, the trouble sprung up when the Financial Times reported in September that Branca was making secret payments to five accusers who had come forward with allegations about Jackson after the 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland.
Branca spoke to the Michael team about the issues in the third act, the inability to use the Chandlers, and the secret payments. Of course, by that point, filming had already wrapped on the biopic with a reported $150 million budget. Fuqua and King have been teasing the film in public and starting to promote it, but there are now questions about what Michael‘s third act will look like.
What This Means For The Michael Biopic
A Revised Script Is Being Worked On
King, Fuqua, and Logan are said to be figuring out how to move forward. The biopic’s team will eventually give Lionsgate a new script and plan for shooting, which could happen as early as the next few days. Universal, which is handling international distribution, has to agree on the changes, as well. If Universal doesn’t, it has the option of withdrawing from the project.
There is some optimism, with the movie getting praise from people who’ve seen a version of it. There is also some faith that Lionsgate will meet the planned October release date but it is a mᴀssive hurdle nonetheless. Michael has taken years to reach the finish line. With this shocking oversight, it’s again facing uncertainty.
Source: Puck
