The upcoming biopic ‘Michael‘ about the late, iconic pop star Michael Jackson is set to release on April 24 through Lionsgate, but before that, the film reportedly underwent big changes.
According to the latest reports, the original final part of the movie, which focused on the 1993 abuse allegations against Jackson, was removed.
The 1993 Allegations That Once Shaped the Film’s Ending
As per sources close to the film, the earlier version showed how the case affected Jackson’s life. The controversy centers on 13-year-old Jordan Chandler, who accused him of abuse. However, criminal charges were never filed despite the incident gaining widespread national and international coverage at the time.
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The case eventually ended in a civil settlement in 1994 that was reported to be around $25 million. Apparently, the film had planned to make this a crucial part of the ending, to show how it changed everything for him.
Emotional Neverland Mirror Scene Dropped From ‘Michael’ Biopic
Among the scenes cut from the film, one showed Jackson standing alone in front of a mirror at Neverland Ranch. He looked tired and visibly upset while police lights flashed behind him.
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Another scene showed investigators searching the property for evidence, but both were ultimately removed from the final version.
Why Michael Jackson Estate Forced a Major Rewrite of the Film’s Ending
The change took place late in production when lawyers for Michael Jackson’s estate pointed out a clause in the settlement. It reportedly stated that Jordan Chandler could not be mentioned or depicted in any future films, and because of this, the distributor and director, Antoine Fuqua, had to remove the entire part of the movie.
The estate is said to have paid for about 22 days of reshoots, which may have cost as much as $15 million, just to fix the film.
People who are aware of the project say that the new ending completely changes the narrative, keeping it confined to Jackson’s career and his strained relationship with father Joe Jackson. It now avoids the allegations altogether, which has led to a debate among both fans and critics alike about whether a film like ‘Michael‘ can truly present the full story of such a controversial figure without bias.
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