The biopic about Michael Jackson will be released in April: premiere date, plot

Lionsgate Studio has unveiled the final trailer for the biographical film "Michael", which tells about the life of the king of pop music Michael Jackson. The release is scheduled for April 24, 2026, and the singer's nephew Jaafar Jackson starred in the title role. All about the release date, plot, and scandals surrounding the most anticipated biographical film of the year is in the Izvestia article.

The final trailer for the Michael Jackson biopic

The final trailer was released on April 8th. It features scenes of Jackson performing on a giant stage, rehearsals with his brothers in the band The Jacksons, the recording of the album Off the Wall with producer Quincy Jones performed by Kendrick Sampson, as well as a shot with the famous chimpanzee Bubbles. The video ends with a moonwalk to "Billie Jean" — a recreation of the legendary performance on the TV show Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever in 1983.

The teaser trailer, released in November 2025, scored 116.2 million views in the first 24 hours, an absolute record for a music biopic or concert film. The film's production budget is $155 million, making it one of the most expensive music biopics in history. Lionsgate management is already calling Michael potentially the biggest release in the studio's history.

What is the movie "Michael" about

According to the official synopsis, the film tells the story of Michael Jackson's life outside the stage — from discovering his talent as part of The Jackson 5 to becoming the greatest artist of the era. The narrative focuses not only on the iconic performances of his early solo career, but also on the inner story of a man obsessed with creative ambitions.

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The main dramatic line is the confrontation between Michael and his father Joe, who sought to keep control of the children's careers and did not want to let his son go on a solo voyage. The film ends with a triumphant Bad tour. Chronologically, the biopic covers the eras of the albums Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982) and Bad (1987).

Who was filming

The nephew of the singer Jaafar Jackson, the son of Jermaine, will make his film debut, playing the main role. His grandmother Katherine Jackson, Michael's mother, approved of the choice, noting that Jaafar "embodies" her son. Jaafar himself called the role an honor, which he claimed for two years. Other performers include Coleman Domingo (Joe Jackson), Nia Long (Katherine Jackson), Miles Teller (Attorney John Branca), Kendrick Sampson (Quincy Jones), Kat Graham (Diana Ross), Lawrence Tate (Berry Gordy) and Jessica Sula (La Toya Jackson).

Director Antoine Fuqua told MovieWeb that the film crew was struck by Jaafar's resemblance to his uncle already at the first screen tests — the makeup, voice and demeanor turned out to be so close to the original that it had an effect on everyone present.

How the third act of the film changed

According to Variety, the third act originally focused on the child molestation charges leveled against Jackson in 1993 and their effects on his life. However, lawyers found out that the settlement agreement concluded with prosecutor Jordan Chandler prohibits portraying him in any film about the singer.

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In June 2025, the entire film crew gathered for 22 additional shooting days to film the new finale. The reshoots cost $10-15 million, with the costs borne by Jackson's heirs.

According to reports, the original version of the painting lasted more than three and a half hours. Producer Graham King expects to turn the biopic into a two—part project, and the cut material, according to him, will be enough for at least one more full-length film about the latest albums Dangerous and Invincible, the Neverland estate and the late years of the singer.

When to watch

The film will be released in wide release on April 24, 2026 in regular screen and IMAX formats. In a number of international markets, including the UK and Ireland, limited screenings in premium formats will start two days earlier — on April 22. The soundtrack of Michael: Songs From the Motion Picture will go on sale on the same day as the film itself.

On March 24, Medialogia presented on its website a Russian series rating consisting of the 100 most popular projects of the past year. The South Korean thriller "The Squid Game" took the first place with 42,861 points, the second place was taken by the American science fiction series "Stranger Things" (26,572 points), and the third place was taken by the Russian detective "Sled" (20,361 points).

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