Michael Jackson Biopic Could Be Split into 2 Movies After Reshoots

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Hearing rumors about the Michael Jackson biopic potentially needing reshoots due to some legal complications, I’m now intrigued by a fresh piece of news suggesting that this epic tale might be divided into not one, but two movies for a more comprehensive portrayal.

Based on a recent update from Jeff Sneider’s The InSneider, it appears the biopic experienced multiple setbacks during its production phase and was ultimately deemed a disastrous project. However, it’s been reported that Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s actual nephew who stars in the film, gives an “exceptionally impressive” performance. Despite this, the production ended up exceeding its budget by a substantial amount, estimated to be tens of millions of dollars.

The report indicates that Lionsgate might divide the film into two separate parts, potentially as a means to recover some of the significant investment they’ve made in the project. According to Sneider, an early version of the movie ran approximately four hours long but left him feeling it was incomplete, and with reshoots approaching, Lionsgate may consider this split option. However, Sneider is skeptical that the film will ultimately become a two-part series.

In addition, Sneider’s report mentions the atmosphere on the film set while it was being made. As mentioned by Sneider, the Jackson family and estate were frequently present, making them hard to handle, leading director Antoine Fuqua to often manage the project from his van via remote direction.

According to Sneider’s report, the original ending for the movie was set at Michael’s famous Neverland estate being raided by the FBI. The approach to deal with allegations against him was initially to ignore them in the script. However, it appears that this changed due to the film’s reported legal issues, so the current status of the project is uncertain.

What do we know about the Michael Jackson biopics reshoots?

As per Matthew Belloni’s latest report from Puck newsletter, it was decided years prior to the production of the Michael movie that the Chandler family would not be involved in any film or project related to the star, as per an agreement signed by both parties. Notably, this contract prevents the Chandlers, who were at the heart of the high-profile child molestation trial against Jackson, from being portrayed in any dramatic reenactments.

As a gamer putting on my director’s hat for a moment, I have to say that the problem with the Michael Jackson movie script is quite clear: a significant chunk of the third act revolves around the controversial lawsuit filed against Jacko by Jordan Chandler, who claimed he was 13 at the time and was allegedly molested by none other than the King of Pop himself.

In the report, it’s noted that the movie portrays Michael Jackson as being free from blame all through this ordeal, and there’s a part where Jackson encounters his legal team in the film, along with hearing an audio clip of Evan Chandler’s father threatening to ruin Jackson’s professional reputation.

In other words, some crucial scenes in the movie might need to be redone from scratch because the original footage is no longer usable.

The report continues by disclosing that this information emerged following the HBO documentary ‘Leaving Neverland’. More specifically, it was after a September article in the Financial Times unveiled that John Branca, one of Jackson’s representatives, distributed $16.5 million to the individuals portrayed in the Leaving Neverland documentary. One individual even requested an extra $213 million, prompting legal action from Jackson’s estate.

As per Puck’s newsletter, it was revealed that the entire production team was taken aback because they hadn’t known any such payments were made. Branca allegedly informed the team about the legal complications related to the scenes in the movie only after the filming had been completed.

The creative team responsible for the film is currently brainstorming effective solutions to address the problem at hand. Any revisions to the script and potential reshoots must gain approval from Lionsgate, while it’s reported that Jackson’s estate will cover the costs of any necessary reshoots and additional photography.

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2025-01-30 01:12