Michael, the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, looks likely to be expanded across two features, judging by the latest comments from Lionsgate execs.
“While we’re not yet ready to confirm plans for a second film, I can tell you that the creative team is hard at work making sure that we’re in a position to deliver more Michael soon after we release the first film,” Adam Fogelson, chair of the studio’s Motion Picture Group, told analysts on Thursday during a call after releasing Lionsgate’s second quarter financial results.
Director Antoine Fuqua‘s biopic is set to hit theaters and Imax on April 24, 2026, after its release was delayed several times, most recently having been dated for the fall of 2025.
News that Lionsgate was considering splitting the movie in two was first outlined in a Puck report in January. The outlet noted the film’s third act needed reworking, as it depicted a Jackson accuser who previously was guaranteed he would never be featured in a dramatized per a past settlement with the Jackson estate.
The studio earlier on Thursday dropped the first official teaser for the musical drama as Lionsgate kicks off its marketing campaign for the upcoming release.
“Since the last time we were together on an earnings call, we have now had the great pleasure of seeing the director’s cut of the first film, and it is exceptional,” Fogelson reported. Marking his feature debut is Jaafar Jackson, the nephew of Michael Jackson, in the lead role as the pop music icon.
The teaser features Jaafar Jackson recreating dance moves on stage or from memorable music videos. The official trailer will play in theaters starting next week, just before Now You See Me: Now You Don’t screenings.
Fogelson said the early response to the Michael teaser was positive. “People have been waiting a long time for this. And we have seen wild enthusiasm. I think people are stunned with Jaafar’s performance, even in the short amount that is in this relatively brief teaser,” he said.
“If you look at the top tier musical biopics, you get a pretty good sense of what the range is, and anything in any version of that is going to be a huge success,” Fogelson added of the production for Michael led by producer Graham King.
