Over the last two decades, biopics about the lives of the recording industry’s biggest stars have hit theaters, allowing fans of Elvis Presley, Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Amy Winehouse, Bob Dylan, and Whitney Houston to experience the highs and lows of these famed artists. On April 24, Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, will join the other greats when Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua (and starring his Michael’s real nephew Jaafar Jackson), hits theaters.
This is the theatrical event fans of Michael Jackson have been waiting for, allowing them to relive his start in Gary, IN, as part of the Jackson 5, through his breakout solo success, and chart his personal struggles in his family and as an emerging artist. With so many headlines going on over the years since this project was initially announced, it made sense to look at everything you need to know about Michael before it hits theaters. Shamone!
Michael is directed by Antoine Fuqua
For the director of the Michael Jackson biopic, Antoine Fuqua was given the job, having directed Denzel Washington’s Oscar-winning performance in Training Day as well as Denzel’s Equalizer trilogy and 2015’s Southpaw. At the time, Joe Drake, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, called Fuqua “a perceptive and powerful filmmaker, and we feel very fortunate that he has chosen Michael as his next project. His visionary storytelling skills and commitment to his craft will make Michael an unforgettable film.”
Michael stars Michael Jackson’s nephew
After a two-year casting process to pick their lead, Jaafar Jackson, one of Jermaine Jackson’s sons, was chosen to play his uncle. Jaafar had been performing since the age of 12 and had already been releasing his own music before being cast in the role.
Colman Domingo and Nia Long play Michael’s parents
In January 2024, it was announced that Domingo (Euphoria, Zola) would be portraying the Jackson family patriarch, Joe, known for how tough he was on his children, often resorting to physical abuse. Domingo released a statement at the time about his casting: “Not only am I fortunate to have a rich, complex and flawed character to portray in Joe Jackson, but I also have a front row seat for Jaafar’s incredible transformation. After seeing him in rehearsal, my mind was blown.”
A month later, Nia Long was cast as Katherine, the matriarch and emotional foundation of the Jackson family. Director Fuqua said, “Nia has delivered iconic performances throughout her career. I’ve been a fan for a long time because her characters stay with you. I’m excited to now work alongside her as she pours all of that into Katherine Jackson: a woman who was the glue, the rock, and the heart of the Jackson family during its best and its most turbulent times.”
Michael features more familiar faces
As the film examines Michael’s rise through the Jackson 5 into his solo career with smash hits like Thriller, there are an array of important individuals that grace the screen, impacting Michael’s life in one way or another. Laura Harrier (Spider-Man: Homecoming, BlacKkKlansman) portrays Suzanne de Passe, who worked at Motown and helped bring the Jackson 5 to the legendary hitmaker Berry Gordy, who is played in Michael by Larenz Tate (Power, Menace II Society, Love Jones). Insecure’s Kendrick Sampson steps in as Quincy Jones, the producer instrumental in crafting some of Michael’s biggest hits, while Miles Teller plays entertainment lawyer John Branca, who represented Michael Jackson throughout much of his solo career.
The Michael teaser trailer broke records
The teaser trailer for Michael, released by Lionsgate in November 2025, was viewed over 116.2 million times in 24 hours, beating the views for any Lionsgate film and even surpassing the trailer for 2023’s Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour to become the most-viewed trailer for any musical biopic or concert film.
Michael could be a two-part film
The story behind the film's production has been intriguing. In April 2025, due to an apparent four-hour runtime, Michael was reportedly being split into two parts, pushing past its then-October 2025 release window. There was also a report regarding the film’s third act, which allegedly had to be re-shot because the film depicted Jordan Chandler, who in 1993 said that Michael sexually abused him, and had a legal agreement that he would never be depicted or mentioned in a movie.
With Michael only showcasing Michael as a young boy through the rise of Bad, Jaafar Jackson has gone on record to say a sequel could be on the way. "You can’t fit it all in one movie...it's impossible,” Jaafar reportedly told ET, hinting that a sequel is “in early development."
