Overview
- The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua and led by Jaafar Jackson, is rolling out in theaters across Latin America on Thursday with the U.S. opening on Friday.
- Early reviews post low scores on Rotten Tomatoes in the high 20s to low 30s and a 38 on Metacritic, with many critics saying the story feels sanitized and stops around the 1988 Bad tour.
- Trade reports trace the omissions to a 1993 civil settlement that lawyers said barred any portrayal of accuser Jordan Chandler, which triggered late rewrites, reshoots, and a near yearlong delay.
- Reviewers still praise Jaafar Jackson’s performance and the concert recreations, and several Jackson relatives cheer the film even as Paris Jackson kept her distance and Janet Jackson declined to take part.
- Producers signal a possible follow-up that would cover later years if ticket sales warrant it, a bet aligned with the strong box-office track record for music biopics.