A first look at the Michael Jackson biopic, starring Jaafar Jackson, has dropped

The film will star Michael Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson.

We finally have a first look at the official Michael Jackson biopic.

Lionsgate has released the trailer for “Michael,” the film about the eponymous singer known as the “King of Pop.” Directed by Antoine Fuqua, “Michael” will star Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, who is the son of Jermaine Jackson. Fuqua is known for films such as “Training Day” and “The Equalizer” movies, and collaborating with Hollywood’s signature leading men like Denzel Washington, Will Smith, and Brad Pitt. He is also a documentary filmmaker, and created “What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali” and “Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers.”

In 2023, he and Graham King, the producer on “Michael,” gushed over Jaafar’s performance to Variety. King said that Jaafar was the “clear” choice for the role, even after doing a “worldwide search” to cast for Jackson. Fuqua called his and Jaafar’s connection “spiritual.”

“It’s incredibly exciting to watch Jaafar bring Michael to life,” Fuqua said to Variety. “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.” 

The trailer features classics like “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” “Beat It,” and “Thriller,” while depicting the late singer at the height of fame. It opens with Kendrick Sampson as Quincy Jones working in the studio with Jackson on what appears to be his most iconic album, which is also the best-selling album ever, “Thriller.”

“I know you’ve been waiting a long time for this,” Sampson says in the opening of the trailer. “The tracks are made, the songs are ready. Let’s take it from the top.”

The star-studded cast for “Michael” includes Colman Domingo and Nia Long playing Joe and Katherine Jackson, Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy of Motown Records, Kat Graham as Diana Ross, Laura Harrier as music executive Suzanne de Passe, and Miles Teller as Jackson’s attorney, John Branca.

The film will be released in theaters on April 24, 2026. It was originally set to come out in the spring of this year, but Jackson’s estate paid to reshoot the biopic’s third act entirely. This part of the story was supposed to address the child sexual abuse allegations brought against Jackson by Evan Chandler, who accused Jackson of molesting his 13-year-old son. According to reports from Puck and Vulture, the Jackson estate brought up legal issues to production after the film wrapped in May 2024. The estate reportedly had overlooked that the Chandler family signed a settlement that prohibits the dramatization of them and their story.

With the reshoots, it’s unclear how the film will depict the story of Chandler’s lawsuit.

The film’s premiere date was moved to October 2025 after the reshoot demands, then was pushed again to the 2026 date.