Controversial Michael Jackson film rakes in $220m to break box-office opening record for biopic

THE CONTROVERSIAL MICHAEL Jackson film has shattered the all-time box office opening record for a biopic, even amid strong criticism about how it handles child sexual abuse allegations against the late pop star.

Michael has debuted atop the North American box office this weekend with $97 million – roughly €82.45 million – according to latest industry estimates. With the film already released in Europe, it has globally taken in nearly $220 million, or €204 million.

The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua, chronicles the legendary artist’s rise from a child star to one of the world’s most famous pop icons.

But it has been blasted for how it deals with the allegations against Jackson, with Irish abuse charity One in Four saying that it risks “rewriting history” and potentially sending a message to survivors that their abuse can be erased.

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Globally, critics have taken aim at similar as they described it as a sanitised retelling of the singer’s life.

The film has strong audience approval, “playing as a feel good, nostalgic appreciation,” analyst David A Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research told AFP, but “reviews are weak.”

“Most critics feel the film is superficial and avoids the complicated parts of the performer’s life, including allegations of sexual misbehavior,” Gross said, while noting a Part 2 is in the works.

Allegations against Jackson

Jackson, who died of an overdose aged 50 in 2009, has been accused of child sexual abuse by multiple people. He has not been convicted of any wrongdoing, but has reached a financial agreement with one of his accusers.

The first allegations against Jackson emerged in 1993 when Evan Chandler accused Jackson of sexually abusing his then 13-year-old son Jordan. The Chandlers and Jackson eventually reached a financial agreement outside of court.

Following Chandler’s 1993 accusation, more individuals alleged Jackson abused them, leading to the People v Jackson trial in 2005, in which Jackson was acquitted.

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But the 2019 documentary series Finding Neverland brought the allegations against Jackson back to the fore. The documentary features Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who allege they were befriended and abused by Jackson as young boys.

The Jackson estate denied the allegations – but the series led many to reassess Jackson’s legacy.

The new movie has not yet been premiered, but according to Variety, it originally opened with a scene set in 1993, just after Jackson was accused of child sex abuse, and then included the allegations again in the latter half of the movie.

Now, the movie allegedly ends at the zenith of Jackson’s movie career before any accusations surfaced in the 90s.

The decision to redo scenes involving the allegations, which allegedly cost millions in reshooting, allegedly came about after the Jackson estate found a clause in an agreement with Jordan Chandler preventing him from being mentioned or depicted in any movie.

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