Antoine Fuqua’s ‘Michael’ Could Be Split Into Two Movies, Pushed to 2026 — Report

After a legal misunderstanding required the film's entire third act to be reshot, the musical biopic appears likely to be delayed yet again.

At Lionsgate‘s CinemaCon presentation on Tuesday, there was plenty of news about the “John Wick” and “Hunger Games” franchises, but little mention of one of the biggest films on its slate, “Michael” — other than a tease that a new announcement would be coming within a few weeks.

Antoine Fuqua‘s Michael Jackson biopic has long been a major priority for the studio, with president of worldwide television distribution Jim Packer telling investors that it would be “the biggest film we’ve ever had” in 2024. The film was beset by controversy from the start, with the director of “Leaving Neverland” publicly battling with the filmmakers over the idea that it would whitewash the allegations of child abuse against Jackson.

And it hit an even bigger snag in 2024, when it was reported that a third of the film had to be reshot due to a legal misunderstanding. Much of the film’s third act reportedly centered around the accusations made against Jackson by Jordan Chandler, who alleged that Jackson sexually abused him at the age of 13. But after the film was shot, it was revealed that Jackson’s estate had previously reached a settlement with the Chandler family that prevented Jordan from being featured in any future films about Jackson’s life. The Jackson estate is reportedly footing the bill for the reshoots, which are said to be extensive.

The film was originally scheduled for an April 2025 release, but the reshoots prompted Lionsgate to push the film to October 3. Now, it appears the film could be moving yet again. Multiple outlets have reported that the studio is considering splitting the project into two films, with the first half potentially being delayed to 2026.

While reports stress that no final decision has been made — and variables in play include the availability of IMAX screens and the timing of potential awards campaigns — splitting the film in half would give Lionsgate the opportunity to get the finished footage into theaters sooner while buying itself time to complete the reshoots. Multiple parties would have to sign off on any decision — including Universal, which is handling international distribution on the project.

Lionsgate declined to comment on this story. The news was first reported by Deadline.