Michael (2026 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Michael (2026 film) |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Antoine Fuqua |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | John Logan |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Dion Beebe |
| Editing by |
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| Release date(s) | April 10, 2026 (Uber Eats Music Hall) April 24, 2026 (United States) |
| Running time | 127 minutes |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $155–200 million |
| Money made | $977.5 million |
Michael is a biographical film that was released in 2026. It was directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan. The movie tells the story of American singer Michael Jackson's early life. It covers his childhood with the Jackson 5 in the 1960s up to his Bad World Tour in the late 1980s.
Michael Jackson is played by his nephew Jaafar Jackson. As a child, Michael is portrayed by Juliano Valdi. Both actors made their film debuts in Michael. Other actors in the film include Nia Long, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Laura Harrier, Jessica Sula, Mike Myers, Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo.
Work on the film began in November 2019. Graham King secured the rights to produce the film, and John Logan was chosen to write the script. Lionsgate announced the movie in February 2022. In January 2023, Fuqua was named the director, and Jaafar was cast as Michael. More actors joined the cast between January and April 2024.
Filming was delayed by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Principal photography then took place from January to May 2024. The story was later revised, and additional filming (called reshoots) happened in June 2025. These changes brought the total production budget to between $155 and $200 million.
Michael premiered in Berlin on April 10, 2026, at the Uber Eats Music Hall. It was released in the United Kingdom by Universal Pictures on April 22 and in the United States by Lionsgate on April 24. Critics had mixed opinions about the film. Many praised Jaafar's performance, but some felt the story avoided certain details. The film was a big success, earning $977.5 million worldwide. It became the highest-grossing biographical film and the highest-grossing Lionsgate film. It was also the second-highest-grossing film of 2026. A sequel to the film was announced to be in development.
Contents
The Story of Michael Jackson's Early Life
In 1966, Joseph Jackson, a steel worker, formed a music group with his sons. The group included Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael. Michael became the lead singer of this group, known as the Jackson 5. After many demanding rehearsals, the Jackson 5 began performing at local shows.
In 1968, Suzanne De Passe discovered the group in Chicago. A year later, they signed with Motown Records. Their albums quickly became very popular, and they sold out concerts across the United States. This success allowed the family to move from a small house in Gary, Indiana, to a large mansion in Encino, California, in 1971. Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, believed Michael had the potential to be a successful solo artist.
By 1978, Michael signed with Epic Records to release his first solo album as an adult, called Off the Wall. Quincy Jones helped produce this album. Even with its success, Michael's father, Joseph, still wanted to control his career. Michael had to continue touring with his brothers on the Triumph Tour.
Michael began to feel unsure about his looks and developed a skin condition called vitiligo. He decided to have surgery to change his nose. After an argument with his father, Michael took advice from his bodyguard and friend, Bill Bray. He decided to take charge of his own career. In 1981, he hired John Branca as his lawyer and had him inform Joseph that he was no longer managing Michael.
Michael visited children's hospitals and thought about ideas for his next album, which was planned for 1982. After seeing a news report about rival community groups, he hired members from these groups to appear in his music video for "Beat It". His album Thriller broke sales records around the world. Michael also gave an amazing performance of "Billie Jean" at the Motown 25 celebration.
Michael and his lawyer, Branca, went to New York to speak with Walter Yetnikoff, the president of CBS Records. They wanted MTV to play Michael's music videos. At the time, MTV did not often play videos by Black artists. Yetnikoff threatened to remove all CBS Records music from MTV if they did not play Michael's videos. MTV then agreed to give him airtime.
While Michael was enjoying his success, his father, Joseph, met with boxing promoter Don King. Joseph suggested a 1984 Victory Tour to bring his sons together again. King offered Joseph a sponsorship deal with PepsiCo. This deal required Michael to tour with the Jacksons, which Michael did not want to do.
During the filming of a Pepsi commercial, a spark from the pyrotechnics accidentally set Michael's hair on fire. He suffered serious burns and nerve damage. Michael and Branca sued PepsiCo for the accident. The money from the settlement was donated to the burn center where Michael was treated. While in the hospital, Michael met other patients and thought about joining the Victory Tour.
After Michael recovered, he agreed to tour with his brothers. During the final show at Dodger Stadium, they performed "Human Nature" and "Working Day and Night". Michael announced that it would be the last time the Jacksons would perform together. This decision ended his business ties with Joseph. In 1988, Michael began his first solo tour, the Bad World Tour, at Wembley Stadium to a very excited crowd.
Who's Who in the Movie
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- Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson
- Juliano Valdi as young Michael
- Colman Domingo as Joseph Jackson, Michael's father
- Nia Long as Katherine Scruse-Jackson, Michael's mother
- Miles Teller as John Branca, Michael's attorney
- KeiLyn Durrel Jones as Bill Bray, Michael's bodyguard
- Laura Harrier as Suzanne de Passe, creative assistant to Berry Gordy at Motown
- Joseph David-Jones as Jackie Jackson, Michael's older brother
- Nathaniel Logan McIntyre as young Jackie
- Rhyan Hill as Tito Jackson, Michael's older brother
- Judah Edwards as young Tito
- Jamal R. Henderson as Jermaine Jackson, Michael's older brother
- Jayden Harville as young Jermaine
- Tre Horton as Marlon Jackson, Michael's older brother
- Jaylen Lyndon Hunter as young Marlon
- Jessica Sula as La Toya Jackson, Michael's older sister
- Mike Myers as Walter Yetnikoff, president of CBS Records
- Kendrick Sampson as Quincy Jones, a co-producer for three of Michael's solo albums
- Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy, music producer and president of Motown
- Liv Symone as Gladys Knight, singer and actress
- Deon Cole as Don King, a boxing promoter
- Asia Fuqua as Ola Ray (credited as "Thriller Girlfriend"), Michael's co-star in the "Thriller" music video
- Jono Petrie as John Landis (credited as "Thriller Short Film Director"), the director of the "Thriller" music video
- Paul Hipp as Bob Giraldi (credited as "Commercial Director"), the director of the "Beat It" music video and the 1984 Pepsi commercial
Making the Movie
How the Film Was Developed and Cast
In November 2019, it was reported that producer Graham King had secured the rights to make a film about pop singer Michael Jackson. John Logan was chosen to write the script. In February 2022, the film was officially announced, with Lionsgate Films handling its worldwide distribution. Later, in October 2023, Lionsgate announced that Universal Pictures International would manage international distribution. In July 2024, Kino Films made a deal to distribute the movie in Japan.
The last movie about Jackson, Michael Jackson's This Is It (2009), was distributed by Columbia Pictures. However, they were not involved with this new film. Graham King mentioned that he interviewed many people who knew Michael Jackson to prepare for the movie.
In January 2023, Antoine Fuqua was announced as the director. Casting began that same month, with Kimberly Hardin as the casting director. It was revealed that Jaafar Jackson would play Michael. Michael's mother and Jaafar's grandmother, Katherine Jackson, approved of the casting. She said Jaafar "embodies" her son. Jaafar shared that he felt "humbled and honoured" to be chosen after a two-year casting process.
In January 2024, Juliano Valdi was cast as a young Michael. Colman Domingo was cast as Joe Jackson, and Nia Long played Katherine. In February, Miles Teller was confirmed to play John Branca. The rest of the Jackson 5 cast members were announced later that month. Many other actors joined in March. In April 2024, Derek Luke joined as Johnnie Cochran. The role of Diana Ross, played by Kat Graham, was cut from the film due to legal considerations.
Michael Jackson's son, Prince, was an executive producer and helped oversee the film's creation. His daughter, Paris Jackson, expressed concerns about the casting of Miles Teller. She felt it could affect the Michael Jackson estate. She also suggested that John Branca was trying to make himself seem more important through expensive casting choices.
Writing the Story
An early version of the script included some difficult parts of Michael Jackson's life. However, the filmmakers decided to change the story's focus. They wanted the film to highlight Michael Jackson's journey to becoming "a superhero on the stage."
Rewrites were delayed when writer John Logan's house was damaged in the Palisades Fire. The script was still being revised even during filming. The final script ends with Michael beginning the Bad World Tour. This allowed the film to focus on Michael's rise to fame and his peak as an artist. Nia Long explained that this approach highlighted Michael's early journey and achievements, leaving the rest of his life for a possible sequel.
Paris Jackson had no direct involvement in the script. She described an early version as "sugar-coated." Her suggestions for the script were not used. She also shared on Instagram that she believed Hollywood biopics sometimes create inaccurate stories. In response, Colman Domingo hoped the film would honor her father. Michael's siblings Janet, Randy, and Rebbie do not appear in the film. According to La Toya, Janet "kindly declined" to be included.
Filming the Movie
Principal photography was planned to start in mid-2023 and last for 80 days in Santa Barbara, California. It was expected to spend $120 million on crew wages and vendors. Filming was delayed in September 2023 because of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Actual filming took place between January 22 and May 30, 2024. Dion Beebe was the cinematographer, Barbara Ling was the production designer, and Marci Rodgers was the costume designer.
After the script was revised, additional filming (called reshoots) took place in June 2025. These reshoots lasted 22 days. Lionsgate denied reports that the film's production was in "chaos." Following the reshoots, the budget reportedly grew to $200 million. The new scenes, including a new ending, added about $50 million to the cost. This made it one of the most expensive biographical films ever made. However, Variety reported that the reshoots only added $10–15 million to the budget, with funding from the Jackson estate.
In February 2025, Lionsgate announced that production was almost finished. In April 2025, there were reports that Michael might be split into two films because of its four-hour length. The next month, its release was delayed to 2026, and the runtime was set at three and a half hours.
The visual effects for the film were created by several companies, including Cinesite, Industrial Light & Magic, Folks, Rodeo FX, Rising Sun Pictures, and Lola Visual Effects. Louis Morin was the visual effects supervisor. Conrad Buff IV, Tom Cross, John Ottman, and Harry Yoon edited the film. In January 2026, the final writing credits were revealed. John Logan received the sole writing credit, with additional literary material attributed to Kenya Barris and Peter Saji.
Music in the Film
The Michael soundtrack features 13 songs. These include songs by the Jackson 5 and tracks from Michael's solo albums: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), and Bad (1987). Lior Rosner composed the background music for the film.
Film Release
Lionsgate released a teaser trailer for Michael on November 6, 2025. The trailer featured a mix of Michael's songs, such as "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", "Beat It", "Human Nature", "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", and "Billie Jean". It was viewed 30 million times in its first six hours and 116.2 million times in 24 hours. This made it the most-viewed trailer in 24 hours for any Lionsgate film and for any musical biopic or concert film in history, surpassing Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (2023).
Michael premiered in Berlin on April 10, 2026. It was released in the US on April 24, 2026, in IMAX theaters. Lionsgate distributed the film in the United States, while Universal Pictures handled international distribution. Volga distributed it in Russia, and Kino Films in Japan. The film was originally scheduled for release on April 18, 2025, and then October 3, 2025. A first look at the film was shown to theater owners at CinemaCon on April 10, 2024, and received a positive reaction. In Japan, Kino Films released Michael on June 12, 2026. It was released on Digital HD on June 9, 2026.
Future Plans: A Sequel?
During production, the idea of splitting Michael into two films was considered. However, the production team decided to create a single film that could stand on its own. During post-production, an ending card that read "His story continues" was added. This could either acknowledge Michael's further career or hint at a possible sequel.
In November 2025, Lionsgate chairman Adam Fogelson said that Lionsgate was "not ready yet to confirm plans for a second film." However, he added that they were "making sure that we're in a position to deliver more Michael soon after we released the first film." Variety reported that 30% of the material from the original three-and-a-half-hour cut could be used in a future film. In April 2026, Fogelson stated that a sequel would depend on how well the first film was received by critics and audiences. Graham King acknowledged the possibility of a sequel, and John Logan was reported to be working on a script. Director Antoine Fuqua mentioned that enough footage had been filmed to support a sequel covering Jackson's later life. On May 21, 2026, Lionsgate announced that the sequel was in development.
See also
In Spanish: Michael (película de 2026) para niños
