The estate-approved biopic on Michael Jackson is reportedly in limbo due to child molestation allegations that continue to haunt the late King of Pop, who died in 2009.
Distributors for “Michael” announced in November the release date for the film would be rescheduled from April 2025 to later this year, but didn’t explain why.
Now, according to a new report from Puck journalist Matt Belloni, the reason for the delay has been revealed to be a violation of a legal agreement struck with Jordan Chandler, a 13-year-old boy who accused Jackson of molestation in 1993.
The reported $20-million-plus settlement stated that any film made about Jackson was not to include representation of Chandler, a stipulation to which Jackson’s team agreed. However, that key contract was reportedly overlooked by the estate during the vetting of “Michael,” parts of which reportedly center on the bombshell lawsuit and depict Jackson “as the naïve victim of the money-grubbing Chandler.”
The fine print purportedly came as a surprise to filmmakers and producers, who were not aware of the legally binding agreement until after the project wrapped filming last May.
Belloni, who has seen the script for “Michael,” says the mishap left the “already-shot third act of the film unusable,” and producers “scrambling” to do rewrites and reshoots.
An unidentified source on Friday maintained the biopic is “not imperiled” while declining to tell TMZ whether the forthcoming reshoots have anything to do with scenes involving Chandler.
With its rumored $150-million budget, “Michael” has been described as “an in-depth portrayal of a complicated man who became the King of Pop. It will bring to life Jackson’s most legendary performances as it gives an informed insight into the entertainer’s artistic process and personal life.”
The movie also reportedly aims to convince the audience that Jackson is innocent of the molestation allegations against him.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua — who previously helmed “Training Day” and “The Equalizer” films — “Michael” stars Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Miles Teller and Derek Luke.