Michael – the Antoine Fuqua-directed movie about Michael Jackson – has sparked more than a few discussions since it was first screened for audiences. Critics were down on the biopic and shared their issues with the film earlier on and, since the film’s wide release at the end of April, a portion of the general audience seems to disagree with pundits. Needless to say, debates have arisen in regard to the merits of Fuqua’s latest film, though Spike Lee is making it clear that he really enjoys it while simultaneously addressing critics’ responses.
Lee, who was a close friend of Michael Jackson, recently spoke about his perception of the late entertainer. With that, he also discussed their collaboration on the “short film” for Jackson’s 1996 single, “They Don’t Care About Us.” During that discussion with CNN, Lee went on to share his thoughts about Michael, and he succinctly shared his positive feelings on the movie:
I’ve seen it twice… love it.
Amid that interview, the Malcolm X director also showed just how cognizant he was of the negative reviews Michael received. What Lee specifically highlighted was the continued discussion about the film’s exclusion of the sexual abuse allegations Jackson faced in the ‘90s. When addressing those who took issue with those details not being featured in the film, Lee said the following:
Article continues belowIf you’re a critic and you’re complaining about all that other stuff — but the movie ends in ‘88. And the stuff you’re talking about, accusations, happened… you’re critiquing the film on something that you wanted but doesn’t work in the timeline of the film. But people showed up. Worldwide, people showed their love [for] Michael.
The sexual abuse allegations were initially addressed in the film via the prologue and epilogue, though any mention of them had to be removed due to a legal technicality discovered by Jackson’s estate. With that, the film’s initial ending was deemed “unusable” and had to be reshot for a sum of money between $10 and $15 million. All of that aside, Spike Lee’s argument seems to be that anyone “complaining” about the change should acknowledge the film’s timeline.
Critics seem to have issues with Michael that go beyond the exclusion of the allegations, however. While Jaafar Jackson’s lead performance as his late uncle has been praised along with many of the concert sequences, many considered the film to be a surface-level examination of its subject. Some pundits pointed out a lack of focus on the relationship between Jackson and his brothers or his business acumen among other critiques.
Nevertheless, Michael has been successful at the box office, as Spike Lee pointed out. As of this writing, the film has earned over $425 million worldwide against a reported production budget between $165 and $200 million. There’s recently been speculation about whether a follow-up will be produced. While addressing that prospect, Adam Fogelson – the chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group – wouldn’t confirm a sequel, though he expressed his belief about there being more story to tell.
In the meantime, it doesn’t seem like the discourse surrounding Michael is slowing down, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if some critics and general audience members share more thoughts after hearing Spike Lee’s viewpoint. Anyone who hasn’t seen the film can see it in theaters, where it’s playing alongside other titles on the 2026 movie schedule.
