Michael Jackson movie: The new trailer is here
New Michael poster also shows Jaafar Jackson in iconic look
Update: The new trailer for "Michael" is now available! You can watch the video at the end of the article.
"Michael", one of the most anticipated music biopics of recent years, will soon be released in cinemas. After the teaser gave us a first impression a few months ago, the production company Lionsgate is now announcing a new trailer for the film starring Jaafar Jackson in the role of the King of Pop. As soon as the "Michael" trailer is released, we will show it to you here!
The biopic portrays the life and career of Michael Jackson, who died in 2009. It focuses on his childhood in the 1960s as part of the family band Jackson 5, as well as Jackson's later solo career, during which he became one of the most successful pop stars in music history. Alongside the announcement of the new "Michael" trailer , a poster was also released showing the protagonist smiling broadly and wearing sunglasses in an iconic piece of clothing. On the poster, Michael Jackson is wearing the red leather jacket he wore in the music video for his 80s hit "Beat It".
Biopic about Michael Jackson: cinema release soon
Antoine Fuqua, who is known for the thriller "Training Day" and his three "Equalizer" action films with Denzel Washington, is the director of "Michael". The screenplay was written by John Logan, who has made a name for himself as the author of films such as "Gladiator" and the James Bond films "Skyfall " and "Spectre". A member of the King of Pop's family has been cast in the lead role: Jaafar Jackson, a nephew of Michael's who is also a musician and is making his film debut in the role of his famous uncle. Other roles include Colman Domingo as Michael's father Joe Jackson, Nia Long as Michael's mother Katherine Jackson and Miles Teller as manager John Branca. The theatrical release of "Michael" is April 24, 2026.
Bohemian Rhapsody & Co: biopics are booming
In view of the numerous biopics of great musicians that have been released in recent years, the realization of a lavishly produced Michael Jackson film for the big screen was only a matter of time. Ever since the huge financial success of "Bohemian Rhapsody" in 2018, film studios have been eager to land the next big hit. The film about the life of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury grossed USD 910 million worldwide - on a moderate budget of just over 50 million. Mercury actor Rami Malek was also awarded the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Accordingly, after "Bohemian Rhapsody", other music stars should also ensure full movie theaters.
Rocketman
"Rocketman", a biopic about Elton John, followed in 2019. Taron Egerton, who had made his breakthrough a few years earlier with the action film "Kingsman: The Secret Service", slipped into the role of the British musician. Although the film did not match the commercial success of "Bohemian Rhapsody", it still managed to earn 195 million US dollars worldwide. At least there was an Oscar for Elton John's movie song "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again".
Elvis
Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis" from 2022 was more successful at the box office. The unconventional biopic about the American rock 'n' roll legend Elvis Presley took in a total of 288 million US dollars. There were also eight Oscar nominations, including in the Best Film and Best Actor categories for Elvis performer Austin Butler. However, the film came away empty-handed at the awards ceremony. In the same year, the biopic "Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody", in which Naomi Ackie plays the eponymous soul singer, grossed a meagre 59 million US dollars. In addition, the reviews were rather mixed, meaning that the film sank without a soundtrack.
Bob Marley: One Love and Back to Black
In 2024, "Bob Marley: One Love" and the Amy Winehouse biopic "Back to Black" were made as cinematic monuments to two other music greats. While the film about Jamaican reggae singer Bob Marley (played by Kingsley Ben-Adir) was able to rake in 180 million US dollars, "Back to Black" had a harder time at the box office. The biopic about British soul singer Amy Winehouse, played by Marisa Abela, only made 51 million.
Like a Complete Unknown
The film "A Complete Unknown", also released in 2024, was particularly successful with the critics. The biopic about the American singer-songwriter legend Bob Dylan was praised for the convincing performance of lead actor Timothée Chalamet, who received an Oscar nomination for his role as Bob Dylan. The film was nominated in a total of eight categories at the ceremony, including Best Picture. In the end, however, "Like a Complete Unknown" did not win a single Oscar. It did, however, earn 140 million US dollars at the global box office.
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
The last biopic about one of the greats in the music business appeared on the big screen in 2025. In "Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere", Jeremy Allen White slipped into the role of rock singer Bruce Springsteen. The leading actor, known from the series "The Bear", received a lot of praise, but overall the film was received cautiously. This was also reflected at the box office, where "Deliver Me from Nowhere" grossed just 45 million US dollars.
The many examples show: No matter how big the names of the musicians portrayed may be, a commercial mega-hit like "Bohemian Rhapsody" is far from certain. Will it be any different with "Michael"? We'll see, but expectations are already high.
