The film biography of Michael Jackson will probably be a box office hit. Image: keystone
This week the film biography about Michael Jackson’s path to becoming the “King of Pop” started in German-speaking Swiss cinemas. The allegations of abuse are completely hidden, even though they were filmed beforehand.
April 23, 2026, 1:34 p.mApril 23, 2026, 1:34 p.m
As befits world-famous stars with a difficult past, Michael Jackson is now receiving a lavishly produced film biography post-mortem. Despite bad reviews on the film platform “Rotten Tomatoes” The film is expected to become one of the most financially successful biopics about musicians in the world. The US business magazine “Wall Street Journal” writes that revenues of around $500 million are expected.
Emancipation from the father is the focus
Meanwhile, it’s less what’s shown in the film that’s a topic of conversation than what isn’t shown. The biography examines Michael Jackson’s career from his early days as a child star with the Jackson Five to his rise to become the “King of Pop”.
“Michael” is the story of the gradual emancipation of the second youngest of the Jackson Five from the tyrannical clutches of his father, which also addresses the psychological and physical violence that he is said to have inflicted on his children. A boy who, against all odds, fights his way to the top of the global music industry – and then it’s over. The film ends with the extremely successful “Bad” tour from 1987 to 1989. The allegations of abuse against Michael Jackson himself are not mentioned at all.
The ending had to be reshot
It was not originally planned that the proverbial elephant in the room would be so consistently ignored. The last third of the film should deal with the child abuse allegations.
According to this Industry magazine “Variety” However, Michael Jackson’s estate executors, who produced the film, overlooked a clause in a contract with Jordan Chandler, whose father initiated the abuse allegations against Michael Jackson in 1993. The clause states that the case and the person of Chandler, who according to the allegations was sexually abused by Michael Jackson at his Neverland Ranch as a 13-year-old, may not be used as a template for a film.
The producers then had to completely change the film again, as it should have started – and ended – with the abuse allegations in 1993. According to Variety, the additional filming cost around $10-15 million. The result is a portrait that only tells half the story and over which the accusation that Michael Jackson was not only a victim but later also a perpetrator hangs like the sword of Damocles. (July)