'Michael' Biopic Bigwigs Reportedly Got Paid Extra $25M ... After Scrubbing Sex Abuse Allegations From Flick

Published April 25, 2026 8:21 AM PDT

"Michael" biopic honchos were reportedly paid $25 million more than their original deal after they scrubbed the film of the child sex abuse allegations against the King of Pop, according to a new report.

Director Antoine Fuqua and producer Graham King were originally set to make $10 million and $6 million, respectively ... but according to Bloomberg, Fuqua was paid an extra $15 million and King an extra $10 million from Michael Jackson's estate after the allegations needed to be cut out and several scenes reshot.

As you know, Michael was first publicly accused of child sexual abuse in 1993, and he reached a settlement with the family of his accuser, Jordan Chandler, the following year.

A legal clause in the settlement barred Chandler's depiction from being used for commercial reasons ... but attorneys for Michael's estate didn't catch that until after scenes about the matter had been produced. So, they reportedly had to spend weeks -- and millions of bucks -- reshooting parts of the movie. Bloomberg says Fuqua and King's reps secured the extra payment after the film was altered, and "box-office grosses potentially hindered."

"Michael" now focuses solely on his rise to stardom at an early age, through his 1988 "Bad" tour ... 5 years before he was accused of sexual abuse of a minor. Lionsgate -- the studio behind the film -- will reportedly make a sequel including the allegations if there's enough demand from fans.

The biopic debuted in theaters Friday and so far has audiences happy with a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes, though critics are not as forgiving as the film sits at a score of 37%.

It's expected to win the box office this weekend ... we'll have to stay tuned to see if it's enough of a "Thriller" to have his story carried on through a second flick.