While not only part of the Jackson 5, which became one of the top music groups in Motown, Michael Jackson used his talents to land the title of “King of Pop.” Looking at his solo career, Jackson sold over 500 million albums, won 13 Grammy Awards, and released iconic songs such as “Beat It”, “Thriller”, and Billie Jean.” In 2024, Sony paid a staggering $600 million for only half of his music catalog. And now, wanting to tell the story of the legend referred to a “MJ”, Lionsgate released their first look at the biopic, Michael.
For years, fans were teased with rumors of a Jackson biopic. Year after year, many started to wonder if the film would even happen. But with Jaafar Jackson embracing the persona of the superstar, the idea finally came to life. And for those wondering, Jaafar had a strong connection to the singer as he was the son of Jackson’s brother Jermaine.
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With the trailers hitting YouTube, it has already climbed over 80,000 views in a single hour. As for what the film will be about, the synopsis reads, “Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. This is where his story begins.”
Looking behind the camera, Antoine Fuqua directed the film. Besides getting the chance to tell Jackson’s story, the filmmaker sat in the director’s chair on hit films including Training Day, Tears of the Sun, Southpaw, Bullet Train, and more.
What Fans Thought Of Michael Jackson Biopic Trailer
Discussing his time on the film, Fuqua constantly praised Jaafar’s embrace of Jackson. “It’s incredibly exciting to watch Jaafar bring Michael to life.” He added, “There was such a spiritual connection when I first met Jaafar, who has a natural ability to emulate Michael and such a great chemistry with the camera.”
But what did fans think of the trailer? Glancing down at the comments:
“‘I know you’ve been waiting a long time for this’ The irony. Lionsgate indeed knows HOW MUCH we’re waiting for this to drop.”
“The irony in the opening line ‘I know you’ve been waiting a long time for this’ – YES Graham King and John Branca, we bloody have! We need it now, no more delays, and part 2 better be coming too!”
“Seeing Jaafar playing as his uncle just made me smile… I’ve got high hopes for this movie… Please lawd make this good. Love you MJ!”
“He said he wanted reach immortality by connecting himself to his music. I think he achieved that. He’ll never die. He’s constantly making new fans of his work.”
“This will break records. There will be people dressed up as MJ going to watch this film. The MJ resurgence is gonna be CRAZY!!!”
With the only complaint surrounding how long it took for the trailer to drop, Michael will moonwalk into theaters on April 24, 2026.
(Lionsgate Movies, 2025)