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What’s in store for the biopic about Michael Jackson?
Superstar Michael Jackson was already the topic of the memorable HBO documentary, Leaving Neverland, in 2019. The King of Pop is now at the heart of a new biopic, Michael, starring his nephew Jaafar Jackson. Here’s everything you need to know about the film, coming out in theatres on April 22nd, 2026.
Published on 7 November 2025. Updated on 20 April 2026.
A film about Michael Jackson directed by Antoine Fuqua
In recent years, a wave of biopics has 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.
In early 2023, news came out that a new film retracing the life of the legend Michael Jackson (1958–2009), was in the works. Michael, the biopic about the American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer and actor is directed by Antoine Fuqua. Known for Training Day (2017) and The Equalizer (2014), the filmmaker clearly faced the facts… There was no better choice than a family member to portray the King of Pop. Jaafar Jackson was to take on that role on the big screen. The 29-year-old singer and actor is Michael’s nephew and Jermaine Jackson‘s son. The latter was a former member of the Jackson Five and brother of the late star.
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 millions of views on YouTube. Graham King, the producer of the biopic, seems confident he made the right call choosing him.
“It was something so powerful that even after conducting a worldwide search, it was clear that he was the only person to take on this role,” he explained in an interview to Variety. 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 will also star Miles Teller and Colman Domingo, and is scheduled for release on April 22nd, 2026. In the meantime, early stills and a first trailer have already been unveiled. On Instagram, filmmaker Antoine Fuqua shared a photo showing the uncanny resemblance between Michael Jackson and his nephew Jaafar Jackson.
Produced with the approval of the Jackson family, the feature will explore every aspect 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 (2019).
Michael by Antoine Fuqua, coming out in theatres on April 22nd, 2026.
