“Michael,” an upcoming biopic about pop legend Michael Jackson that seems guaranteed to spark conversation, debuted a dazzling first look at CinemaCon during Lionsgate’s presentation to theater owners.
The sweeping footage starts as hysterical fans scream along to Jackson as he owns the stage, flashing between performances of his biggest hits like “Man in the Mirror” and “Thriller.” The movie, which is still in production, will feature over 30 songs and recreate several of them, starting with Jackson 5’s classic rendition of “ABC” on “American Bandstand.”
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, “Michael” promises to be a sweeping look at the musician’s life, including the emotional toll that being a superstar took on the shy and private man behind the moonwalk.
“There might be some people who think you’re different, and that’s gonna make life a little harder for you,” his mom, Katherine Jackson, tells her gifted son in the trailer. “But you never were like anyone else. Michael, you have a very special light. So make that light shine onto the world.”
Later in the footage, he says, “When I’m not onstage everything feels foreign to me.”
There’s certainly no shortage of material to mine in telling Jackson’s story. Before debuting the trailer, producer Graham King” called the film “an inside look at the most prolific artist who ever lived.” He teased, “There are elements of drama, intrigue and emotional states.” King noted that he’s been preparing for the movie for seven years, interviewing hundreds of people and carefully considering how to condense his complex life and legacy.
“There are biopics — and there’s Michael Jackson,” said King, who also served as a producer on the box office smash “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Jackson topped charts and moonwalked his way into cultural history with classics like “Beat It”, “Billie Jean”, “Bad,” “Man in the Mirror,” “Black or White” and “Thriller.”But he also faced multiple allegations of child sexual abuse — a 1993 lawsuit involving the singer was settled out of civil court and in 2005 hewas tried and acquittedon different claims. Jackson died in 2009 from an overdose ofpropofol.
“Michael” will deal with the abuse allegations, according to a recent PvNew report. But some critics wonder how the filmmakers will contend with the more controversial parts of Jackson’s life and legacy given the involvement of his estate, as well as the fact that two of its executors, John Branca and John McClain, are producers of the film.
“We’ll get into all of it,” King promises. “Behind the unrelenting scrutiny and the accusations and the spotlight, he was simply a man — a man with a very complicated life.
The most daunting part of the moviemaking journey was finding the man to embody a near-mythic figure like Jackson. “When I started out, everyone said, ‘You’ll never find anyone to play him,” King recalled.
Well, in the end, they didn’t have to look far beyond the performer’s own kin. “Michael” stars Jaafar Jackson, who also happens to be Jackson’s real-life nephew. In the minutes-long clip that played for theater owners, but is not yet available to the public, Jaafar Jackson embodies every inch of his uncle while sporting his signature white button-down, glittery glove and fitted fedora.
The superstar’s parents will be portrayed by Oscar-nominee Colman DomingoasJoe Jackson and Nia Long as Katherine Jackson. The ensemble includes Miles Teller,Laura Harrier,Kat Graham,Larenz Tate and Jessica Sula. Fuqua, a popular filmmaker whose hits include “Training Day” and “The Equalizer,” directs from a script by “Gladiator” screenwriter John Logan.
“Michael” hits theaters on April18,2025. The film comes as musical biopics have been embraced by audiences with the likes of “Bohemian Rhapsody” (a look at Queen frontman Freddie Mercury), “Rocketman” (the story of Elton John), “Elvis” and “Bob Marley: One Love” connecting at the box office.
Judging by the reaction of theater owners inside the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, the controversy that surrounds Jackson’s legacy may not matter to audiences around the world. “Michael” looks like another crowd-pleasing hit to thrill the box office.
