The highly anticipated Michael, a biopic chronicling the life of pop icon Michael Jackson, is facing unexpected legal hurdles that have resulted in significant delays and extensive reshoots. Originally scheduled for release in April 2025, the film’s release date has now been pushed to October 2025 due to a legal issue stemming from an earlier settlement related to one of Jackson’s molestation accusers.
According to reports from Puck, the film is undergoing substantial rewrites and reshoots as producers scramble to address the issue. The controversy centers around an out-of-court settlement Jackson reached with Jordan Chandler and his family in 1993. Chandler, who was 13 years old at the time, had accused Jackson of sexual abuse. The settlement, which reportedly amounted to $25 million, included a legal clause banning any references or dramatization of the case, a clause that the filmmakers had overlooked during the film’s script review.
This oversight has rendered much of the third act of the film unusable, as the Chandler case plays a significant role in the storyline. As a result, nearly the entire portion of the film related to this settlement is now being rewritten and reshot.
Despite these challenges, a spokesperson for the film assured the public that the project is not in complete disarray. In a statement to People magazine, the spokesperson clarified, “The Michael Jackson biopic is not in total chaos. The inflammatory headlines about the moving halting are simply not true. The film is moving forward, and reshoots are happening in March.”
The estate of Michael Jackson has consistently denied all allegations of abuse, and in 2005, Jackson was acquitted of charges related to child molestation.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, Michael stars Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s nephew, as the King of Pop, and Colman Domingo. Fans can now expect the biopic to hit theaters on October 3rd, 2025.