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Michael Jackson: Discover the first images of the biopic
Singer Michael Jackson was already the topic of a memorable HBO documentary (Leaving Neverland, 2019). Now, the star will be the centre of a biopic, starring his nephew Jaafar Jackson and scheduled for release in theatres on April 24th, 2026. Here’s everything we know about Michael, the film tracing back the tumultuous life of the King of Pop.
In recent years, a wave of biopics have traced back the lives and legacies of late artists who left a mark on pop culture. Austin Butler brilliantly portrayed the King of Rock, Elvis Presley, in Elvis (2022), Ana de Armas stepped into the shoes of Marilyn Monroe in the pseudo-biopic Blonde (2022) on Netflix, and Sandor Funtek and Théo Christine starred in Suprêmes (2021), the film about the French rap group NTM.
A film about Michael Jackson directed by Antoine Fuqua
In early 2023, news broke that Michael, a biopic retracing the life of the legend Michael Jackson (1958–2009), was in the works. The film about the American singer-songwriter, dancer-choreographer and actor is being directed by Antoine Fuqua. Known for Training Day (2017) and The Equalizer (2014), the filmmaker clearly face the facts. There was no better choice than a family member to portray the King of Pop. Jaafar Jackson, the 29-year-old nephew of Michael and son of Jermaine Jackson, former member of the Jackson Five and brother of the late star, will take on the role for the big screen.
His name may not yet be widely known, but Jaafar Jackson is also a singer and songwriter. In 2019, he released the single Got Me Singing, which has already garnered millions of views on YouTube. Graham King, the producer of the biopic, seems confident he made the right call choosing him.
As he explained in an interview to Variety: “It was something so powerful that even after conducting a worldwide search, it was clear that he is the only person to take on this role.” As for Jaafar Jackson, he wrote on the Instagram account dedicated to the film: “I’m humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael’s story to life. To all the fans all over the world, I’ll see you soon.”
Michael Jackson’s nephew in the lead role
The biopic Michael, which will also feature Miles Teller and Colman Domingo, is scheduled for release on April 24th, 2026. In the meantime, early stills and a first trailer have already been unveiled. On his Instagram account, director Antoine Fuqua shared a photo showing the uncanny resemblance between Michael Jackson and Jaafar Jackson.
Produced with the approval of the Jackson family, the film promises to explore every aspects of the singer’s life, including the numerous allegations of child abuse that resurfaced late in his career. A topic, which had previously been addressed in the harrowing HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, released in 2019.
Michael by Antoine Fuqua, coming out in theatres on April 24th, 2026.
