Trending Now - Michael Jackson Biopic Faces Controversy Over Reshoot Payments
WHO:
The Hollywood Reporter - A spokesperson for Graham King stated, “Graham King worked on the Michael film for seven years. Because the film needed to go back into production and a new budget developed, King and Antoine Fuqua had to postpone other projects and commitments.”
The Hollywood Reporter - Director Antoine Fuqua and producer Graham King are involved in the film "Michael."
The Hollywood Reporter - The film stars Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson's real-life nephew.
TV Insider - Bill Maher criticized the biopic during his show "Real Time With Bill Maher."
WHAT:
The Hollywood Reporter - Fuqua was initially set to earn $10 million, and King was set to earn $6 million for the film before receiving additional payments of $15 million and $10 million, respectively, for the reshoots.
The Hollywood Reporter - The film now ends in 1988, more than twenty years before Jackson’s death in 2009.
The Hollywood Reporter - The film currently sits at 38 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Hollywood Reporter - The film "Michael" underwent major reshoots due to legal concerns regarding abuse allegations.
The Hollywood Reporter - Fuqua and King received additional payments of $15 million and $10 million, respectively, for the reshoots.
The Hollywood Reporter - The film is projected to earn between $94 million and $100 million domestically and nearly $200 million globally.
TV Insider - Critics have labeled the biopic as a "puff piece" for omitting sexual abuse allegations.
WHERE:
The Hollywood Reporter - The film is being released in theaters.
WHEN:
The Hollywood Reporter - An additional 22 days of filming took place in June 2025.
The Hollywood Reporter - "Michael" was originally slated for an April 2025 release but was ultimately released in April 2026.
The Hollywood Reporter - An additional 22 days of filming took place in June 2025.
WHY:
The Hollywood Reporter - The decision to remove references to the allegations was reportedly influenced by concerns that including them could hurt the film’s box office performance.
The Hollywood Reporter - The decision to remove references to abuse allegations was influenced by concerns about the film's box office performance.
The Hollywood Reporter - The Jackson estate paid for the reshoots to reshape the film due to legal concerns.
HOW:
The Hollywood Reporter - The original cut included Jackson facing child sexual abuse allegations, which made up much of the third act, but this was removed due to legal concerns tied to a prior settlement involving one of Jackson’s accusers.
The Hollywood Reporter - The film's third act was scrapped, and extensive reshoots were conducted to avoid depicting allegations against Jackson.
(UPDATED April 26, 2026 11:09 UTC)
Graham King has been working on the Michael film for seven years, but due to the need for additional production and a new budget, he and director Antoine Fuqua had to postpone other commitments. Fuqua was initially set to earn $10 million, while King was to receive $6 million, but both will receive additional payments for reshoots, with the film now ending in 1988, more than twenty years before Jackson's death in 2009. The original cut included references to allegations against Jackson, which were removed due to concerns about their impact on box office performance, and the film currently holds a 38 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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(UPDATED April 26, 2026 04:06 UTC)
The film "Michael," directed by Antoine Fuqua and produced by Graham King, stars Jaafar Jackson, who is Michael Jackson's real-life nephew, and has undergone significant reshoots due to legal concerns surrounding abuse allegations. Critics have labeled the biopic a "puff piece" for omitting these allegations, while the Jackson estate funded the reshoots, which included scrapping the third act to protect the film's box office potential. The movie, originally set for release in April 2025, has now hit theaters in April 2026 and is projected to earn between $94 million and $100 million domestically and nearly $200 million globally.