Nia Long spills on dramatic overhaul of Michael Jackson film

Nia Long has made a surprising revelation about the Michael, revealing the film underwent a dramatic overhaul behind the scenes.

The 55-year-old star, who plays Katherine Jackson, the late singer’s mother, appears alongside Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s real-life nephew, who takes on the role of the King of Pop in the Antoine Fuqua-directed film.

She admitted that major reshoots on the Michael Jackson biopic were “heartbreaking.” 

The production hit turbulence after filmmakers realised they could not legally include scenes linked to the child s*x abuse allegations that were made against Jackson in the 1990s. 

The controversy forced producers to rework large sections of the movie, reportedly costing millions in reshoots and completely changing the original vision. 

Instead of following Jackson into his later years, the final cut now ends with him at the peak of his global fame.

Speaking to Variety, Long said: “In the original version of the film, there were scenes that didn’t quite work with this cut, that were deleted… That’s part of filmmaking. 

It can be heartbreaking, but I’m very happy with the film as it stands today.”

She also hinted that deleted material, some of which was set at Neverland Ranch and featured her alongside Jaafar, could resurface in a possible sequel.

“There were scenes at Neverland. So maybe they’ll come back if we do, in fact, do a sequel,” she added.

The biopic covers Jackson’s rise from the Jackson 5 through iconic albums like Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad, as well as his complex relationship with father Joe Jackson, played by Colman Domingo. 

It stops short of his later life controversies.

Meanwhile, co-star Effie Spence has fuelled speculation of a follow-up, saying there is “definitely talk” of a second film, insisting there is “so much more” of Jackson’s story still to explore.

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