Michael Jackson's biopic is running successfully in theatres, but critics are not impressed. The film has been accused of sanitizing the pop star's image by leaving out the sexual abuse allegations against him. Insiders have revealed that the makers originally planned to include the scandal, but were stopped due to a legal loophole.
The film, starring Michael's nephew Jaafar Jackson, chronicles the pop star's life from the 1960s to 80s, charting his rise to solo stardom. However, it makes no reference to the numerous allegations of sexual abuse by minors that Michael faced in the early 90s.
A report by the Associated Press states that director Antoine Fuqua and producer Graham King wanted to include the allegations in the film, but the plan was halted due to an error by the Jackson estate. An old agreement prevented those claims from being used for commercial purposes, leading to costly reshoots.
The biopic's budget ballooned to $200 million, and it's now speculated that a sequel will target a 2027 release if the film performs well at the box office. The sequel is likely to focus on the scandals and cases the pop star faced in the 90s, as well as his dependency on pain medication following his accident.
