The upcoming biopic of the late “King of Pop,” Michael Jackson, titled “Michael,” experienced many delays due to distribution plans, excessive running time and, according to Deadline, the editing out of references to Jordan Chandler, who accused Michael Jackson of sexual abuse back in 1993. However, two years after Lionsgate made the announcement of an upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, the trailer finally dropped on Thursday, Nov. 6.
According to WaveMetrix, the trailer had more than 100 million views in just 24 hours, which marks “Michael” as the most-watched biopic trailer in history. Looking at the one-minute trailer, “Michael” has the potential to become one of the most successful biopics, if not the most successful biopic in history. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film will most likely cover the most notable events throughout Jackson’s lifetime, such as The Jacksons, The First Moonwalk, the making of “Thriller,” Jackson’s Super Bowl performance in 1993 and more. From the details seen in the trailer, it looks like the filmmakers did extensive research to make the film accurate. One of the clips from the trailer even features a cup of juice, which most likely represents his love for orange juice.
Honoring his late uncle, who left a lasting legacy and impact on the world of entertainment, Jaafar Jackson is no doubt prepared to give his best performance. According to producer Graham King, it took two years to find the right cast to portray the singer until they settled on Jaafar. This is known to be Jaafar’s first-ever on-screen performance. As seen in the trailer, Jaafar nails down his uncle’s voice, movements, laugh and makeup.
“Jaafar embodies my son,” said Katherine Jackson, the matriarch of the Jacksons, back in 2023.
During a 2024 interview with Smooth Radio in Manchester, Michael Jackson’s brothers (Jackie, Tito and Marlon) shared deep praise for their nephew, with Marlon stating, “Jaafar wasn’t imitating Michael; he became Michael.”
Jackie added, “We saw a piece of it and … we tears came down and we all started crying. We thought we were looking at him. That’s how good he was.”
Jaafar had been preparing himself for the role by adjusting his pitch to match his uncle’s voice. With this being his first on-screen performance, this could be a steppingstone to boosting Jaafar’s career in the entertainment industry.
King mentions that he collaborated with Jackson’s estate to film the biopic. He describes the film as unbiased. It was also confirmed by King that the biopic will address the controversial claims against Jackson, such as the 1993 child sexual abuse allegations.
“As a filmmaker, I look to humanize, but not sanitize, and present the most compelling, unbiased story I can capture in a single feature film and let the audience decide how they feel after watching it. [Jackson] clearly remains an impactful, culturally relevant artist with a life and legacy worth exploring,” King said in an interview with Variety.
Fuqua’s “Michael” will hit theaters on April 24, 2026. Millions of people can’t wait to see the King of Pop live, as well as his life reimaged.
