The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic "Michael," directed by Antoine Fuqua and set for release on Apr. 24, 2026, has had all of its child sexual abuse-related content stripped from the film after attorneys for the Jackson estate discovered a legally binding clause that barred any depiction of one of the pop star's accusers.
The original script, written by John Logan, was structured so that the story of Jordan Chandler — the 13-year-old who in 1993 accused Jackson of sexual abuse — formed the backbone of the film's third act and served as both its opening and closing framing device.
The Chandler family's 1994 civil settlement with Jackson, which sources have reported at figures ranging from $20 million to $25 million, contained a clause prohibiting the Chandlers from ever being mentioned or dramatized in any motion picture, according to Variety.
The original version of the biopic was set to portray Jackson as the victim of what it characterized as the money-driven Chandler family, with scenes depicting Jackson's legal team — played by Miles Teller as attorney John Branca and Derek Luke as Johnnie Cochran — debating whether to settle the case.
A recording of Evan Chandler, Jordan's father, allegedly saying he would use his son's claims to destroy Jackson's career was also included in the script. According to Puck journalist Matt Belloni, who reviewed an early draft, the film "went to great lengths" to portray Jackson as the alleged victim of extortion.
The oversight was not discovered until after principal photography had already wrapped in May 2024, when attorneys were alerted to the settlement clause following a Financial Times report in September 2024 that the Jackson estate had paid five accusers to remain silent.
The filmmakers — including Fuqua, producer Graham King, and screenwriter Logan — were reportedly unaware of the binding agreement throughout production. A source described the situation to People magazine as a "nightmare scenario."
The cast was called back for 22 days of reshoots in June to film a new third act that removed all references to the molestation claims. Variety reported that the reshoots added $10 to $15 million to the budget, as production resumed in Los Angeles and did not qualify for state tax incentives, Yahoo News reported.
Puck separately reported the total cost of "additional photography" was $50 million on top of the film's existing $150 million budget, with the Jackson estate covering the expenses due to its own legal oversight.
The new ending was restructured to conclude on a performance scene meant to leave audiences "happy and uplifted," according to Screen Rant, which cited Puck. The darker material covering the abuse allegations and criminal proceedings against Jackson in the final years of his life may instead be incorporated into a potential sequel, which producer Graham King has been discussing, with a possible 2027 release.
The film's troubled production was further complicated when screenwriter Logan's home was damaged in the Palisades wildfire, contributing to additional delays. The movie, originally scheduled for Apr. 18, 2025, was first pushed to Oct. 3, 2025, and then again to its current Apr. 24, 2026 date.
The legal removal of the Chandler material comes as the Jackson estate faces an entirely separate set of allegations. In February 2026, four members of the Cascio family — Edward, Dominic, Marie-Nicole, and Aldo Cascio, who were longtime family friends of Jackson — filed a federal lawsuit alleging that Jackson "drugged, raped, and sexually assaulted" them over more than a decade, beginning when some were as young as seven years old.
The lawsuit also accuses Jackson of child sex trafficking and names the Michael Jackson Company and estate-connected entities as defendants. The estate, through attorney Marty Singer, called the lawsuit "a desperate money grab" and noted that the Cascio siblings had publicly defended Jackson for over 25 years, including Frank Cascio's 2011 book praising the singer.
In March 2026, a Los Angeles judge granted the estate's motion to compel arbitration in the Cascio case, meaning that the legal battle will proceed outside of public court. The ruling cited a binding arbitration provision that Frank Cascio had signed in a 2020 settlement agreement with the estate.
Paris Jackson, the late singer's daughter, has also publicly distanced herself from the biopic, filing court documents in March 2026 criticizing estate co-executor John Branca over financial mismanagement and his handling of the film's production. The estate's attorney, Jonathan Steinsapir, told TMZ that Paris's complaints were "without merit" and part of a "media campaign."
Dan Reed, director of the 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, which detailed abuse allegations from Wade Robson and James Safechuck, has previously condemned the biopic as "profoundly disingenuous" and wrote in a Guardian op-ed that the film would "glorify a man who raped children." Attorneys representing Jackson's accusers have also described the film as "propaganda," as per Rolling Stone.
