*The biopic about Michael Jackson is facing significant setbacks due to legal issues.
According to a report from Puck, the film’s producers are scrambling to rewrite parts and conduct reshoots after discovering a legal clause from a settlement Jackson made with his 1993 accuser, Jordan Chandler. The music icon was accused in 1993 of sexually abusing Chandler when he was 13, and the singer settled with the family out of court for a reported $25 million. Part of the agreement included a stipulation that the Chandlers could not be mentioned or depicted in any movie. The film’s script, which heavily involved the Chandler case, overlooked this clause during its approval process.
“The Michael Jackson biopic is not in total chaos. The inflammatory headlines about the moving halting are simply not true,” a source close to the production tells PEOPLE. “The film is moving forward, and reshoots are happening in March.”
Producer Graham King’s company, GK Films, announced in May 2024 that the “Michael” biopic had finished filming. The original release date was April 18, 2025, but was postponed by six months to its current release date of Oct. 3.
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Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film stars MJ’s real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson, 28, in the lead role.
The film unpacks Michael’s “triumphs and tragedies on an epic, cinematic scale — from his human side and personal struggles to his undeniable creative genius, captured by his most iconic performances,” per the official synopsis.
The cast of “Michael” also includes Colman Domingo and Nia Long as parents Joe and Katherine Jackson.
READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Antoine Fuqua-Directed Michael Jackson Biopic (‘Michael’) Now Set for Fall 2025 Release | WATCH
