EXCLUSIVE: Sources are telling us that Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic Michael, from Lionsgate, with a near four-hour cut, could be split into two movies. That’s an option on the table but not a definite at this time.
When you think of Jackson’s life — from Gary, IN, to the Jackson 5, Off the Wall to Thriller, and to his undoing — it’s an epic story worthy of a two parts ala Wicked.
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Will the Graham King production make its October 3 release date? Most likely not. But realize there’s a lot of sign-offs here with Universal handling overseas and Japan sold separately. A key factor also for a concert-like movie of this stature is access to Imax screens. King’s Bohemian Rhapsody, which was about another controversial pop star in Queen’s Freddie Mercury, overcame all obstacles and opened to $51 million stateside and crooned to north of $216M U.S./Canada and $910.8M worldwide with four Oscar wins.
Will the movie definitely go to 2026 like InSneider said this AM? Maybe, but nothing is definite or gospel yet. There’s a slight chance Michael could still boogie down the road toward the end of this year for awards season; that isn’t out of the question. Yes, Lionsgate has Paul Feig’s stunning Sydney Sweeney-Amanda Seyfried thriller The Housemaid on Christmas Day (that movie wowed CinemaCon on Tuesday with its first trailer), but exhibition is always open to more films. By the way, at a time when we need great movies, Lionsgate had a stunning presentation yesterday with its kickass Ballerina footage showing Keanu Reeves vs. Ana de Armas, as well as a performance by the Weeknd and Jenna Ortega doing a deadpan onstage routine in the promotion of Hurry Up Tomorrow.
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Lionsgate didn’t show footage for Michael yesterday since all these decisions are up in the air for the film, which stars Jackson’s nephew and Jermaine Jackson’s son Jaafar in the title role. Coleman Domingo plays Joe Jackson and Nia Long is Katherine Jackson. More on the cast here for the John Logan-penned movie.
Another factor in the delay surrounding Michael is the legal and contractual issues around the narrative of the molestation accusations leveled against the “Thriller” star in the early 1990s by the family of then 13-year-old Jordan Chandler (Jackson in 1994 paid the family $20 million with no admission of guilt). The Jackson estate explicitly wanted nothing about Chandler in the film, so fact that the allegations do appear has led to a fierce internal dispute and extensive reshoots, Deadline has confirmed.
Jackson infamously stood trial in 2005 on another claim of molestation and was acquitted of all charges. However, the public case also saw the near complete withdrawal of the King of Pop from the public sphere in the final four years of his life.
Dominic Patten contributed to this report
