CHRISTIAN TOTO: Will Public Accept Sanitized Michael Biopic?
The April 24 release was slated to begin in 1993, when Jackson was first accused of sexually inappropriate contact with a minor.
Not anymore.
Those moments, and others allegedly shot for the movie, didn’t make the final cut, according to Variety. Nor did other problematic chapters of his life.
But the sequence with investigators who arrive at Neverland Ranch to search for evidence is one of many that were left on the cutting room floor. “Michael,” which Lionsgate will release in the United States on April 24, was supposed to explore the impact of the allegations on Jackson’s life, with much of its third act devoted to the scandal. But that finale was scrapped, along with any mention of the child molestation accusations, according to sources with knowledge of the production.
Why?
Variety ticks off two reasons. One, recent Jackson projects have done something similar, and the public outcry has been limited or non-existent.
Two, the legalese tied to the movie helped make this sanitized version possible.
The third, unofficial reason? Team Jackson had a heavy hand in the production and is invested in the film’s financial future. And the King of Pop’s, too.
Will the public cry foul or marinate in the memories? Those box office predictions suggest the latter.
Flashback: The sexual predators everyone still worships.
