In one scene from the film’s original script, the King of Pop stares at his reflection in the mirror, capturing his sorrowful gaze as police car lights flash behind him. It’s 1993, a decade after “Thriller” gripped the culture, and Jackson has just been accused of child molestation.

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. That’s after attorneys for the Jackson estate, which served as a producer, realized there was a clause in a settlement with one of the singer’s accusers, Jordan Chandler, that barred the depiction or mention of him in any movie.

I'm curious how this film will be received. Upon seeing the trailer in a cinema recently, I did wonder whether this stuff had been cut or conveniently forgotten because the only tension seemed to come from Michael's relationship with his father and his broader struggles with fame. I know there are a lot of people out there who either don't care or have a sort of cognitive dissonance about the whole thing which makes them believe his innocence, but personally I would feel quite uncomfortable paying to see a film about Michael the adult pop star that completely ignores this period of his life. I might feel differently if I knew for sure that the child abuse allegations would be addressed in a sequel, but at the moment it sounds like wishful thinking on the part of the filmmakers.