Imagine thinking you're wrapping up a biopic on one of the most iconic figures in pop culture — and suddenly you're reshooting nearly a month's worth of footage and splitting it into two films. That's exactly what's happening with Michael, the much-anticipated Michael Jackson biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson, the late King of Pop's real-life nephew.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film's production team has locked in 22 days of reshoots this June — and we're not talking about polishing rough edges. This is full-blown structural surgery. The entire narrative arc has been reshuffled, with what was supposed to be the first half of the original movie now being reworked into a stand-alone film. That's right: Michael is being split into two epic sagas, and the original third act has been shelved. Indefinitely.
Why? Let's break it down.
Jackson 5, Take One: Why This Isn't Just a Quick Fix
Let's be clear — 22 days of reshoots is no small tweak. That's nearly a full indie film's shoot schedule. And word on the Hollywood street is that these aren't just clean-ups or minor pick-ups; the movie is being reshaped. The current plan? End the first film with Michael Jackson's emotional exit from the Jackson 5 following the release of Off the Wall. In storytelling terms, that's the equivalent of slicing Bohemian Rhapsody off at Freddie Mercury's first mustache.
Even more eyebrow-raising? The second film's script still isn't locked. Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer confirmed that over three and a half hours of footage already exists — and yet, we don't even have a clear roadmap for Part Two. It's like building a moonwalk halfway up a mountain and hoping gravity takes care of the rest.
Hollywood Déjà Vu: When One Film Became Two
This isn't the first time a project has ballooned into a two-parter midstream. Think Kill Bill, The Hobbit, or even Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. But what makes Michael unique — or maybe a little cursed — is that this split isn't coming from a place of excess ambition. It's coming from legal landmines and structural uncertainty.
Specifically, a dramatized portrayal of one of Jackson's real-life accusers — someone who had previously settled with the estate under the agreement that they wouldn't be depicted in any dramatization — triggered legal alarms. That snag effectively nuked the original third act, forcing a narrative pivot that turned a single epic into two shorter ones.
Let that sink in: a legal clause is literally dictating the story's structure.
The Ghost of Moonwalks Past: Why This Changes Everything
In a weird twist of pop-culture fate, this mess echoes the chaotic saga behind 2019's Rocketman and 2022's Blonde. Both films tackled larger-than-life figures, and both were torn between mythmaking and truth-telling. But Michael ups the ante — it's sanctioned by the Jackson Estate, stars family, and has to navigate a minefield of public perception, musical legacy, and… yikes, lawsuits.
Hollywood's obsession with legacy biopics has reached a fever pitch, but the genre now faces a harsh truth: nostalgia is expensive, risky, and often messy. And when the family's involved — just ask the Marvin Gaye or Whitney Houston estates — the balancing act between hagiography and authenticity turns into a high-wire circus with no net.
Insider Whispers: “This Isn't the Movie We Started Making”
Sources close to the project have reportedly grumbled off the record that “this isn't the movie we started making.” Fuqua is a seasoned director, and producer Graham King has shepherded hits like Bohemian Rhapsody, but even industry pros can't always dodge development hell.
What makes it all the more fascinating (and weirdly on-brand for a Jackson biopic) is the surreal scope of the delays. First slated for April 2025, then bumped to October, the release is now MIA — with 2026 being floated as the new drop date. In industry time, that's like saying “maybe never.”
Would You Watch This or Burn $20? No Judgment. (Okay, Some Judgment.)
So, here we are. A film meant to celebrate the life of the King of Pop has turned into a real-life Thriller — complete with legal ghosts, shifting timelines, and a surprise two-part reveal.
Genius or garbage? Your move.
