The release date for the highly-anticipated Micheal Jackson biopic Michael is being pushed back. According to Deadline, the Antoine Fuqua-directed film is officially moving the global release date to April 24. In the movie, Jackson is played by his nephew, Jaafar Jackson, son of Michael’s older brother and former bandmate in The Jackson 5, Jermaine Jackson.
Principal photography on Michael wrapped in May 2024, but more post-production time was needed due to extensive reshoots and an initial cut that was almost four hours. Studio executives had considered splitting Michael into two parts, Billboard reports, because of its $155 million budget. Deadline also says that the initial cut of the movie made references to 13-year-old Jordan Chandler, who accused Jackson of molestation in 1993 and whom Jackson settled with for $20M in 1994 with no admission of guilt. A script was developed that included Chandler and was approved by Jackson’s estate and that version was initially shot; but it was ultimately revealed that there was an agreement for him not to be included. The situation led to necessary reshoots.
In 2023, Fuqua praised Jaafar and talked about his approach to telling the King of Pop’s story.
“It’s uncanny how much he’s like Michael,” Fuqua told EW regarding the younger Jackson. “Sounds like him, dances like him, sings. It’s really uncanny. Graham King, who is a fantastic producer, found him, and introduced him to me, and I was blown away.”
“Just to tell the facts as we know it, about the artist, about the man, about the human being. You know, the good, bad, and the ugly,” Fuqua went to say about his approach to the movie.
This is the third time that Michael has been delayed. The pic’s first release date was April 18, 2025, then October 3.
Rounding out the cast are Colman Domingo and Nia Long as Joe and Katherine Jackson; Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy; Laura Harrier as Suzanne de Passe; Miles Teller as attorney John Branca; Kat Graham as Diana Ross; Jessica Sula as La Toya Jackson; Liv Symone as Gladys Knight; Kendrick Sampson as Quincy Jones and Kevin Shinick as Dick Clark.
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