Jaafar Jackson, nephew of Michael Jackson, shows off his dance moves in the first teaser for Lionsgate‘s Michael musical drama that dropped on Thursday.
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. Marking his feature debut is Jaafar Jackson in the lead role as the pop music icon.
The teaser features the nephew of the late superstar entertainer recreating dance moves on stage or from memorable rock videos. The official trailer will play in theaters starting next week just before Now You See Me: Now You Don’t screenings.
“The film tells the story of Michael Jackson’s life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world. Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. This is where his story begins,” the producers of Michael say in a synopsis.
“The tracks are made. The songs are ready,” an engineer says in a voice over in the teaser after Michael required 22 days of additional photography in June 2025.
Michael’s cast includes Colman Domingo as the star’s father, Joe Jackson and Nia Long as his mother, Katherine. Rounding out the cast are Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Kat Graham, Larenz Tate and Derek Luke. Graham King, John Branca and John McClain produce the movie that has a script from John Logan.
Lionsgate is distributing the movie domestically, while Universal handles the global launch.