US EditionWho's Bad? Not Michael Jackson in New Big-Budget Biopic
The film stars Jaafar Jackson as Michael and drew more than 116 million trailer views in 24 hours, signaling strong early audience interest.
- On Friday, April 24, 2026, the biographical film Michael opens in theaters and IMAX, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson as the iconic performer.
- Over three decades ago, the five-hour ABC miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream defined the Jackson family's rise from Gary, Indiana, establishing a defining chronicle of their history.
- Industry projections place the domestic opening between $75 million and $90 million, while the teaser trailer generated over 116 million views in its first 24 hours, a record for a musical biopic.
- With a reported initial cut exceeding 3.5 hours, the film features Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson and Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, sparking discussion about potential multi-part release structures.
- Director Fuqua believes the subject remains vital, stating, "Michael's too important a character for our culture to just walk away from," as the film focuses on his rise, leaving later years for exploration.
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Who's Bad? Not Michael Jackson in new big-budget biopic
A new Michael Jackson biopic will shortly arrive in cinemas telling the story of the King of Pop's early career, but it's a tightly controlled story that avoids any reference to the child sex abuse allegations that dogged his later…
On April 22, a film about Michael Jackson, produced by his family and the crew responsible for “Bohemian Rhapsody” about Freddie Mercury and Queen, will be released in Polish cinemas ($900 million).
Michael Jackson biopic expected to break records during opening weekend
The biographical picture (biopic), “Michael,” of Grammy award-winning artist Michael Jackson, which comes to theaters April 24, is already expected to break records, according to recent online fan engagement. According to a recent article from BoxOffice Pro, the viewership of the film’s first teaser, in its first 24 hours, was the largest of any trailer in Lionsgate history and of any musical biopic. In that same article, the film is anticipated…
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