Michael Jackson Movie Reshoots Significantly Changed Ending, Sequel Not Guaranteed

Michael, the long-awaited movie about Michael Jackson, reportedly experienced major changes during reshoots.

What changes occurred for the Michael Jackson biopic?

Michael’s journey from production to the big screen has been tumultuous. Originally scheduled for a 2025 release, Michael was delayed until 2026 due to reshoots. The movie’s third act reportedly touched on Jackson’s sexual abuse allegations in the early ’90s. However, an agreement between the Jackson estate and the pop star’s accuser was already in place, stating that Jackson’s accuser should not be included in the film.

According to Puck’s Matthew Belloni, Michael’s reshoots are complete, and the movie now features a different ending.

“Additional photography has now wrapped, and the film ends after Jackson’s triumphant rise to fame in the ’80s,” Belloni wrote. “So all the footage of MJ’s later King of Pop (and scandal-plagued) years, including two weeks of shooting at Neverland Ranch, now owned by Ron Burkle, is unusable.”

Due to the first cut being nearly four hours, Lionsgate has considered splitting Michael into two movies. Because of the reshoots and financial gamble, a second movie is not guaranteed.

“Producer Graham King’s plan is to make a second Michael movie that would include all that stuff, plus a significant amount of additional, yet-to-be-shot footage with stars Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo, and Miles Teller, but that will now depend on — yes, you guessed it — how the film is received by audiences next April,” Belloni added. “If it’s a hit, or if all signs are pointing that direction, they greenlight part two, and if not, producers eat all that unused footage.”

Jafaar Jackson stars as Michael Jackson. Jafaar is Michael’s nephew and the son of Michael’s brother, Jermaine. The rest of the ensemble includes Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Kat Graham, Larenz Tate, and Derek Luke.

Antoine Fuqua directs Michael from a screenplay by John Logan. Lionsgate will release Michael in the United States, while Universal will handle international distribution. Belloni’s report mentioned that the Michael trailer will be attached to showings of Wicked: For Good in November.

Michael opens in theaters on April 24, 2026.

Source: Comingsoon.net