Michael – the film about Michael Jackson – went through a major rewrite in 2025 after a key part of the story had to be removed.

According to Puck, the original version of the movie ended with the 1993 allegations against Jackson, when a family accused him of sexually abusing their 13-year-old son. But that ending was ultimately scrapped. Lawyers for the Michael Jackson Estate found a clause in a past settlement that prevents the accuser from being portrayed in a dramatized film. Once that came to light, the filmmakers had no choice but to rethink the entire third act.

That led to a significant round of reshoots. Variety reported that in June 2025, the cast spent 22 days filming new material, adding somewhere between $10 and $15 million to the budget. The estate covered those costs, since the issue came from their side. The release date was also pushed back, moving from April 2025 to April 2026.

The film’s ending now focuses on a different moment in Jackson’s life and his rise. Specifically, it will center on the Bad World Tour, his first solo tour and one of the biggest tours of its time. Instead of the allegations, the main source of tension shifts to his relationship with his father, Joe Jackson, who is played by Colman Domingo.

Jackson himself will be played by his nephew, Jaafar Jackson. With these changes, the film now leans more toward showing Jackson at the peak of his career, rather than ending on one of the most controversial chapters of his life.