• Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Lists
    • Yearly Top Tens
    • Trailers
    • Contact
    • Hire Me
    • About
Menu

World of Reel

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
Home
IMG_5161.jpg
Mikey Madison Lands First Post-Oscar Role in ‘Reptilia’
IMG_5160.jpg
Chad Stahelski’s ‘Highlander’ Reboot to Shoot in September
IMG_5158.jpg
Disney Re-Releasing ‘Snow White’ in 1200+ Screens This Weekend
IMG_5156.jpg
Box-Office: ‘Thunderbolts' and ‘Sinners' to Battle for #1 This Weekend
Screenshot 2025-05-09 122713.png
Brandon Cronenberg's Next Film is Space-Horror ‘Dragons'
Featured
Capture.PNG
Aug 19, 2019
3-Hour ‘Midsommar' Director's Cut Screened in NYC
Aug 19, 2019

This year’s 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center premiered Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar” this past Saturday.

Aug 19, 2019

World of Reel

  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Lists
  • More
    • Yearly Top Tens
    • Trailers
  • About
    • Contact
    • Hire Me
    • About

‘Michael': Entire Third Act Needs to Be Reshot Due to Legal Issues — October Release in Peril

January 24, 2025 Jordan Ruimy

Lionsgate, which is distributing Antoine Fuqua’s “Michael” biopic, announced in November that the film was being delayed from April to October. What the studio didn’t specify, for obvious reasons, was why they pushed the film back by almost seven months.

It turns out that the third act of the Michael Jackson biopic has been completely scrapped and will have to be reshot due to some major legal issues. The third act focused on the 1993 investigation into Jordan Chandler’s claim that Michael Jackson sexually abused him at 13 years old. Jackson’s estate forgot they signed a deal with the Chandler family years ago to never include them in any dramatic reenactment, let alone a movie, rendering the third act unusable.

If you recall, Puck’s Matt Belloni wrote about this movie last April. He had been given the script for “Michael,” and as he read it, was surprised by “how aggressively the project sought to change the narrative” on the Jackson allegations. The movie is said to address these allegations head on, and as Belloni wrote, “wants very much to convince you Michael is innocent.”

The film’s third act, in particular, hinges specifically on the impact of the Chandler circus. In the script Belloni read, a tense sequence involves Jackson’ lawyers (Teller), and Johnnie Cochran (Derek Luke), discussing whether to pay off Chandler and his family.

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 ensuing scenes dramatize the extensive police investigation, including a “traumatizing” strip search of Michael that scars him for life.

According to Belloni’s two sources, there’s a signed agreement with the Chandlers prohibiting any dramatization of them or their stories. That deal, which was overlooked by the estate during the vetting of the script, has now rendered the planned storyline and several key scenes that were shot unusable.

This has turned into a nightmare for Fuqua and company. If “Michael” now can’t “dramatize” the Chandler claims, which are said to be the “backbone” of the film, what, exactly, will the third act be about?

Fuqua, and screenwriter John Logan have been attempting rewrites for weeks now. They’ve finally settled on a new draft of the script, and are set to submit it to Lionsgate for approval as early as this week. There are booked sets and soundstages ready for March reshoots.

Given all of this drama, don’t be surprised if the film doesn’t hit its targeted October release date. Unusual circumstances have turned “Michael” into the type of project that Universal — who is distributing the film overseas — might not want to take part in.

← LOL: Blake Lively Seeks Gag Order Against Justin Baldoni Kevin Costner’s ‘Horizon: Chapter 2’ Sets U.S. Premiere →

FOLLOW US!


Trending

Featured
IMG_4571.jpg
David Fincher & Brad Pitt Reunite for ‘The Continuing Adventures of Cliff Booth' + Plot Details
IMG_4549.png
Warners Bros. Chief Admits Missteps on ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’: “We Misread the Room”
IMG_4541.jpg
Scorsese’s Next Film? Hawaiian Mob Epic With Dwayne Johnson Eyes 2026 Shoot
Capture.png
Jim Caviezel to be De-Aged in ‘The Resurrection of the Christ'
IMG_4465.png
Harmony Korine Says Hollywood Struggling Because “Movies Suck Today”

Critics Polls

Featured
Capture.PNG
Critics Poll: ‘Vertigo’ Named Best Film of the 1950s, Over 120 Participants
B16BAC21-5652-44F6-9E83-A1A5C5DF61D7.jpeg
Critics Poll: Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Tops Our 1960s Critics Poll
Capture.PNG
Critics Poll: ‘The Godfather’ Named Best Movie of the 1970s
public.jpeg
Critics Poll: ‘Do the Right Thing' Named Best Movie of the 1980s
Critics Poll: ‘Mulholland Drive' Named Best Film of the 2000s
g4.jpg
Critics' Poll: ‘Goodfellas' Named Best Movie of the 1990s
Critics Poll: ‘Mad Max: Fury Road' Named Best Movie of the 2010s
World of Reel tagline.PNG
 

Content

Contribute

Hire me

 

Support

Advertise

Donate

 

About

Team

Contact

Privacy Policy

Site designed by Jordan Ruimy © 2023