{"id":3014,"date":"2026-05-01T14:54:06","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T13:54:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thetab.com\/filmshrine\/?p=3014"},"modified":"2026-05-01T15:45:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T14:45:42","slug":"katherine-jackson-star-nia-long-alleged-lionsgate-dispute-michael-jackson-biopic-pay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetab.com\/filmshrine\/2026\/05\/01\/katherine-jackson-star-nia-long-alleged-lionsgate-dispute-michael-jackson-biopic-pay\/","title":{"rendered":"Katherine Jackson star \u2018quietly fighting\u2019 Lionsgate over Michael Jackson biopic pay"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the Michael Jackson biopic continues to smash box office records, insiders have claimed Katherine Jackson star Nia Long is \u201cquietly fighting\u201d Lionsgate in a pay dispute.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since its release, the film has grossed more than $277 million worldwide against a $155 million budget, making it one of the most successful music biopics of all time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Getting to this point wasn\u2019t straightforward, as the project underwent timely reshoots to remove the original third act<\/a>, which addressed the 1993 child sex abuse allegations against the singer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Both Long and Colman Domingo<\/a>, who play Michael\u2019s on-screen parents Katherine and Joe Jackson respectively, spoke about this in a recent interview, saying that the events not included in the first film<\/a> could be explored in a sequel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But according to a report from Matthew Belloni, there may also be issues to iron out before then.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Contract clause at centre of alleged Michael Jackson biopic pay dispute<\/h2>\n
\"Nia
Credit: Lionsgate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In his latest <\/span>Puck newsletter<\/span><\/a>, Belloni said he\u2019s been told by three sources that Long is \u201cquietly fighting Lionsgate over her compensation on the movie.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He went on to say that she has a \u201cfavoured nations\u201d clause in her contract, meaning she can\u2019t be paid less than her co-stars. However, the sources claimed that Long discovered she earned less than both Domingo and Miles Teller, who plays Jackson attorney John Branca.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNot great, if that\u2019s true. She\u2019s now threatening to take the studio to mediation over the discrepancy,\u201d he added. This essentially means Long could push for a formal dispute process to resolve the pay gap, without taking the issue straight to court.<\/span><\/p>\n

Belloni provided some crucial context to the issue, as while it\u2019s true that Long appears far less than Teller and Domingo, the final film looks a lot different after the cuts and reshoots.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRemember that the movie changed significantly from what she signed on for, and in the original script I read, Long\u2019s part was bigger, including a key scene at the end of the film,\u201d he continued.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLionsgate declined to comment, and reps for Long did not respond to my email.\u201d Film Shrine has also contacted Lionsgate for comment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Talks of Michael 2 are heating up<\/h2>\n

Belloni\u2019s report also discusses further details on Michael 2, which Lionsgate chairman Adam Fogelson confirmed is on the cards.<\/span><\/p>\n