Content Advisory: This article discusses allegations involving minors and related legal proceedings. Reader discretion is advised.
The new Michael Jackson biopic ‘Michael’ is already drawing major attention, but one of the biggest questions around the movie is what it leaves out.
The film reportedly does not cover the major allegations involving minors that followed Jackson for years. Instead, ‘Michael’ ends in 1988, during the ‘Bad’ tour, before the first public allegations surfaced.
That choice was not only creative. According to multiple reports, it followed a major legal problem that forced the movie’s team into extensive reshoots.
The Original Movie Reportedly Included The Chandler Story
In 1993, Jordan Chandler accused Jackson of abuse involving a minor. The allegations led to a Los Angeles Police Department investigation and a lawsuit from Chandler’s family. Jackson denied the allegations and later settled with the family in 1994 for about $20 million. After the settlement, the family stopped cooperating with police, and no charges were brought in that case. The Chandler storyline was reportedly a major part of director Antoine Fuqua’s original version of ‘Michael.’ It was said to frame the movie and dominate its third act.
Then the legal issue surfaced.
Larry Feldman, the lawyer who represented Chandler’s family in the settlement, said the deal prevented either side from publicly dramatizing or communicating what happened, except for police cooperation and sworn testimony. After hearing that the film reportedly portrayed Jackson as the target of an extortion attempt by Chandler’s father, Feldman said, “That’s exactly what they couldn’t do.”
Reshoots Changed The Shape Of The Film
Fuqua and the creative team, including screenwriter John Logan and producer Graham King, reportedly learned about the settlement issue in fall 2024. The movie had already wrapped principal photography earlier that year. Then came the kind of overhaul Hollywood hates: major reshoots.
The release date was pushed from April 2025 to October 2025, and later reports connected the delay to the Chandler material. One reported scene recreated the 1993 raid on Neverland Ranch, including the police examination of Jackson.
Fuqua also said he did not know whether the allegations were true, while expressing skepticism toward some accusers. “Sometimes,” he said, “people do some nasty things for some money.”
Other Allegations Remain Outside The Movie
Chandler was not the only person to accuse Jackson.
In 2003, Jackson was arrested and later charged over allegations involving Gavin Arvizo. The case went to trial in 2005, and Jackson was acquitted on all charges.
Years after Jackson’s death in 2009, Wade Robson and James Safechuck sued the estate, accusing him of abuse when they were children. Their case is now scheduled for trial this November after years of legal appeals.
In February, four adult siblings from the Cascio family also sued the Jackson estate with serious allegations. The estate has denied the claims.
‘Michael’ avoids those later legal battles by ending years earlier. Colman Domingo, who plays Joe Jackson, said the movie focuses on “the makings of Michael” and offers “an intimate portrait” of Jackson through his own eyes. He also suggested a sequel could address later events.
The Biopic Is Still Expected To Be Huge
Early reviews have been rough. Rolling Stone critic David Fear wrote, “This isn’t really a biopic. This is the Passion of St. Michael.”
Still, fan interest remains enormous. Early box office projections suggest ‘Michael’ could become a major hit despite the controversy around what it does not include.
That leaves the central question hanging over the whole project: can a Michael Jackson movie feel complete while stopping before the allegations that reshaped his legacy?
