Online Reporter
LOS ANGELES. − Lionsgate and producer Graham King have looked at the man in the mirror and decided he needs some work done and the bipoic is now set to be split into two parts.
Michael, the in-flux Michael Jackson biopic, is prepping for a bulky 22-day set of additional photography to be held next month, multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.
The not-insignificant shoot comes as King, the Jackson Estate and studio partners Lionsgate and Universal are still mulling how to move forward in light of a legal issue, with the movie most likely being split into two parts.
The new shoot seems to indicate that headway is being made.
Sources tell THR that while a script for a potential second film still needs to be finalised, the planned June shoot would be for the first film.
While the term “reshoots” has been bandied about, in this case it’s less about reshooting what has already been shot but rather expand what was half a film into feature length.
Sources say the new film will now end with Jackson leaving the Jackson 5 after the release of his first solo album, Off the Wall. (Yes, Bubbles the chimpanzee will be in the first film.)
Deadline added that the company are now strongly considering releasing Michael in two parts.
“At the end, when you look at the music library, when you look at what Michael Jackson was able to deliver in terms of music and contributions to art, whether or not that can be fit into one movie comfortably or not is a question that we are absolutely asking,” Lionsgate film chief Adam Fogelson told investors.
“We’ll be ready to answer more specifically in the coming weeks.”
Speculation about a possible split first emerged last month when no footage was shown from the film during CinemaCon in April.
In January, it was reported that the film’s production had hit a major speed bump, and was being forced to reshoot its entire third act, which is said to depict sexual abuse allegations that the singer’s estate has banned from being dramatised.
The film has already attracted some criticism, including from Dan Reed – the director of the documentary Leaving Neverland – which documented allegations of sexual abuse against Michael.
He recently criticised the making of the new biopic, saying it “will glorify a man who raped children”.
Alongside Jaafar Jackson, the cast also includes Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson and Miles Teller as manager John Branca.
The Vampire Diaries star Kat Graham will play the iconic Diana Ross. Portraying industry titan Quincy Jones − who died in November − will be Insecure‘s Kendrick Sampson. − Deadline/The Hollywood Reporter
