‘Michael’ Trailer Drops: Inside the Controversial Biopic on the King of Pop

While the two-minute clip gives fans a dazzling glimpse of the performer behind Thriller and Billie Jean, it also reignites questions that have shadowed the film’s production from the start: can a movie truly “humanise” Michael Jackson without sanitising him?

A Troubled Journey to the Big Screen

Production on Michael officially wrapped in May 2024, but the project has endured a bumpy road to release. 

Initially slated for April 2025, the film’s debut was pushed to October following reshoots ordered that June, and then delayed yet again to April 2026. 

At one point, industry reports suggested the film might even be split into two parts, though the newly released trailer confirms it will arrive as a single feature.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, best known for Training Day, The Equalizer, and Olympus Has Fallen, Michael promises a cinematic retelling of the King of Pop’s extraordinary and deeply complicated life. 

The script was penned by John Logan, the Oscar-nominated writer of Gladiator, The Aviator, and Hugo, whose storytelling often dives into the complexity of fame and creative obsession.

A Family Affair

Perhaps the most striking casting choice is the lead: Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s real-life nephew, steps into the glittering glove to portray his uncle. 

The film also stars Colman Domingo as the Jackson family patriarch, Joe Jackson, and Nia Long as matriarch Katherine Jackson. 

Supporting roles include Miles Teller as Michael’s attorney and adviser John Branca, Laura Harrier as music executive Suzanne de Passe, Larenz Tate as Motown founder Berry Gordy, and Kat Graham as Diana Ross.

The trailer teases a mix of behind-the-scenes drama and musical brilliance, featuring iconic hits like Thriller and Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’. 

One standout moment shows Jackson in the studio with legendary producer Quincy Jones (played by Kendrick Sampson), hinting at a film that seeks to capture both the man and the myth.

Producer Graham King, whose previous credits include Bohemian Rhapsody, insists the project aims for honesty over hagiography.

“Michael’s life was complicated,” King said. “As a filmmaker, I look to humanise but not sanitise to present the most compelling, unbiased story possible and let the audience decide how they feel after watching it.”

Still, not everyone is convinced. Dan Reed, director of the explosive 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, which resurfaced allegations of child sexual abuse against Jackson, publicly criticised the film’s script, calling it “startlingly disingenuous.” 

He claimed early drafts downplayed or discredited the accusers’ accounts, portraying Jackson as a saintly figure surrounded only by family and sick children.

Earlier this year, Michael star Colman Domingo praised the Jackson family’s support for the project, telling reporters in Venice that “they’re very much in support of our film.” 

But that statement was swiftly challenged by Paris Jackson, Michael’s daughter, who took to Instagram to clarify her stance.

“Don’t be telling people I was ‘helpful’ on the set of a movie I had zero percent involvement in,” she wrote. “I read one of the first drafts, gave my notes about what was dishonest, and when they didn’t address it, I moved on. Not my monkeys, not my circus.”

Paris added that while she expects many fans to enjoy the movie, “the film panders to a specific section of my dad’s fandom that still lives in the fantasy.”

The Biopic Boom, and Its Box Office Risks

With a reported $155 million budget, Michael stands as one of the most ambitious music biopics in recent years. 

Yet, it enters a market where the genre’s magic has begun to fade. This year’s Bruce Springsteen biopic underperformed with just $31 million at the box office, a cautionary tale for studios banking on nostalgia.

Still, Lionsgate remains confident. The official synopsis promises “a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before,” chronicling his rise from the Jackson Five to global superstardom. Whether it will also confront the darker chapters of his story remains to be seen.

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Release Date and What’s Next

Michael is set for worldwide theatrical release on April 24, 2026, with its trailer rolling out in cinemas next week ahead of the Now You See Me 3 premiere.

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