The first trailer for the controversial Michael Jackson biopic has been released after reports of a fraught production.
"I know you've been waiting a long time for this," the star's producer Quincy Jones (played by Kendrick Sampson) says in the opening shot of the preview.
"The tracks are made; the songs are ready. Let's take it from the top."
His comment takes on a double meaning in light of the film's lengthy delays.
Antoine Fuqua's movie was meant to be released months ago but was delayed twice because of reshoots, eventually getting pushed back to April 2026 — a whole year behind schedule.
The minute-long trailer presents a glossy view of Jackson's life and career highlights, set to a medley of his famous tracks.
There is no reference to the significant allegations of child sexual abuse levelled against Jackson, nor the childhood abuse he claimed to have endured from his father, Joe Jackson.
A shot of Jackson and his family laughing around a kitchen table flashes across the screen between scenes of the pop star performing on stage.
"This is your story. I know your past and embrace the future. That's what people want," Jones says in a voice-over.
Oversight reportedly prompted delays
Legal troubles were behind the delays, according to entertainment reporter Matt Belloni, who reportedly read the initial script.
He wrote that the film was set to include scenes about Jordan Chandler, a child who Jackson was accused of sexually abusing in 1993.
Jackson settled with the family in a civil lawsuit in 1994 and was never criminally charged in the case.
Belloni said the script "went to great lengths" to portray Jackson as the alleged victim of extortion.
The Jackson estate had reportedly overlooked that the scenes would violate the terms of the settlement, and the discovery forced production to return for reshoots.
The pop singer was charged with child sex abuse in a case involving a separate child, but was acquitted by a jury in 2005.
Jackson, who died in 2009, denied all allegations of child sexual abuse brought against him.
Early scripts criticised
The film has been criticised for appearing to sanitise the star's life in the lead-up to its release.
Dan Reed, who directed and produced Leaving Neverland — a documentary that chronicles child sexual abuse allegations against Jackson — read a draft of the screenplay, according to a report by Variety.
The filmmaker is quoted as saying Michael was "startlingly disingenuous" for making a point to discredit the allegations.
"Jackson is only ever seen caring for children with childhood cancer, or dancing with a little girl in a wheelchair, or tucking up multiple little boys, mostly his nephews, at sleepovers," he said.
"It feels like the creators of the movie have been stuck in a room with John Branca and just told what to write."
Mr Branca, an entertainment lawyer who acted for Jackson, is a co-executor of the star's estate, and is credited as one of the film's producers.
Earlier this year, Colman Domingo, who plays Joe Jackson, claimed Jackson's children Paris and Prince were "very much in support" of the biopic.
It prompted Paris to publicly deny any involvement.
"Don't be telling people I was 'helpful' on the set of a movie I had zero per cent involvement in lol that is so weird," she wrote in a series of Instagram stories posts.
"I read one of the first drafts of the script and gave my notes about what was dishonest/didn't sit right with me, and when they didn't address it, I moved on with my life. Not my monkeys, not my circus.
She added that she knew "a lot of you guys are gonna be happy" with the movie.
"A big section, the film panders to a very specific section of my dad's fandom that still lives in the fantasy, and they're gonna be happy with it."
Graham King, one of the film's producers, has defended the controversial retelling of Jackson's life.
"As a film-maker, I look to humanise but not sanitise and present the most compelling, unbiased story I can capture in a single feature film and let the audience decide how they feel after watching it," he said in a statement to Variety last year.
"Michael clearly remains an impactful, culturally relevant artist with a life and legacy worth exploring."
The titular role will be played by the singer's nephew Jaafar Jackson.
Its cast also includes Miles Teller as Mr Branca; Nia Long as Katherine Jackson; and Jessica Sula as LaToya Jackson.
