Production on the highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic, "Michael," has hit another delay.
Lionsgate announced the Antoine Fuqua-directed film, starring Jaafar Jackson, will now premiere April 24, 2026, its third postponement.
The film's postponement stems from extensive reshoots and editing, according to Deadline, particularly tied to legal issues involving alleged settling-agreements.
Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer stated during a fiscal call that although "3½ hours of amazing footage" had been captured, the production needs additional time to address concerns raised over including a scene involving Jackson's 1993 accuser, Jordan Chandler. Consequently, Fuqua and screenwriter John Logan opted to split "Michael" into two films to better accommodate the story's complexity.
As Feltheimer explained in May to Variety, moving the film into 2026 "will impact fiscal '26 financial results but bolster an already strong fiscal '27 slate," indicating both creative and financial planning are at play.
Second MJ Film in Development
Insiders report that a second Michael Jackson project is also in early development, aiming to explore his life from a new perspective.
Jaafar Jackson, son of Jermaine Jackson and Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza, is playing playing his famous uncle.
The 27-year-old was photographed shooting scenes in Los Angeles in 2023 and early 2024. Among them was a re-creation of the "Thriller" video, filmed in Encino and downtown LA.
Fuqua's biopic will show the trajectory of the King of Pop's life from a boy, his time with The Jackson 5 and his emergence as a soloist and to his incredible superstardom, personal troubles and legal battles. This includes the 1993 sexual abuse allegations, for which Jackson settled, and the 2005 trial that ultimately acquitted him of additional charges of abuse.
Family Voices and First Look
A trailer for "Michael" screened behind closed doors at CinemaCon in April, where it elicited strong reactions.
In another, a voice that is presumably Katherine Jackson's can be heard encouraging her son, "There might be some people who think you're different... but you never were like anyone else." She adds, "Michael, you have a very special light – so make that light shine onto the world."
In another snippet of dialogue from the teaser, Michael recalls feeling isolated when he's not on stage, "When I'm not onstage, everything seems to be foreign to me.
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