Published : 08 Nov 2025, 01:43 AM
Updated : 28 Aug 2026, 01:29 AM
The first trailer for “Michael”, the biopic on pop legend Michael Jackson, has finally been unveiled after what has been described as a troubled production period.
According to The Guardian, filming on the project was completed in May 2024 and it was initially slated for release in April 2025.
Production setbacks and reshoots in June, however, forced the release to be pushed back again, this time to April 2026.
The British daily said that earlier reports had suggested the film might be split into two parts, but the newly released trailer indicates it will now be released as a single feature.
As per The Guardian, the film is directed by Antoine Fuqua, best known for Training Day, The Equalizer, and Olympus Has Fallen.
The script has been written by Oscar-nominated screenwriter John Logan, who previously worked on Gladiator, The Aviator, and Hugo.
Jaafar Jackson, the late singer’s real-life nephew, takes on the lead role, alongside Oscar nominee Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson.
The cast also includes Miles Teller, Nia Long and Laura Harrier.
The Guardian quoted producer Graham King as saying that the project aims to “humanise but not sanitise” Jackson’s life.
“Michael’s life was complicated,” King said, adding that the film strives to present an unbiased portrayal of the pop star’s story and allow audiences to make their own judgements.
The newspaper noted that the film has faced renewed scrutiny in light of the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, which revisited long-standing allegations of sexual abuse against Jackson.
The documentary’s director, Dan Reed, reportedly described the Michael script as “startlingly disingenuous”, claiming it portrayed Jackson in an overly sympathetic light.
The Guardian added that Colman Domingo said earlier this year that Jackson’s family, including his children Paris Jackson and Prince Jackson, were supportive of the project.
Paris, however, later denied any involvement, writing on Instagram that she had “zero percent involvement” and had previously given notes on what she found “dishonest”.
She said the film “panders to a specific section” of Jackson’s fanbase who “still live in the fantasy”.
The film, carrying an estimated budget of $155 million, follows in the wake of a disappointing box office performance for the recent Bruce Springsteen biopic, which has earned only $31 million since its release, The Guardian noted.
