The official trailer for Antoine Fuqua’s long-in-the-works Michael Jackson biopic has arrived ahead of the film’s release on April 24.
The clip offers the most comprehensive look so far at Michael, which will feature Jaafar Jackson — the late star’s nephew — in the title role. While the previously-released Michael teaser appeared to offer a surprisingly upbeat and rosy view of Jackson’s life and career, this new trailer hints at some of turmoil underneath, while still stressing the King of Pop’s love of music and myriad achievements.
Most notably, the trailer highlights Jackson’s complicated relationship with his father and manager, Joe Jackson (played by Colman Domingo). Early on, it shows how Joe — who allegedly abused Jackson — shaped his sons into the Jackson 5, while later it finds him trying to control Michael’s burgeoning solo career.
“I need to think,” Michael says after Joe puts forth a plan for the Jackson family’s pop domination. “I told you what to think,” Joe retorts.
The rest of the clip comprises a montage filled with memorable career highlights, lowlights, and some of the more oddball moments from Jackson’s career: His first moonwalk, his massive Grammy haul for Thriller, studio session with Quincy Jones (Kendrick Sampson), the apparent aftermath of the his hair lighting on fire during a commercial shoot, and story time with his pet chimpanzee, Bubbles.
Along with Jaafar Jackson, Domingo, and Sampson, Michael is set to star Nia Long as Jackson’s mom, Katherine Jackson; Miles Teller as his lawyer, John Branca; Larenz Tate as Motown founder Berry Gordy; Laura Harrier as music executive Suzanne de Passe; and Kat Graham as Diana Ross.
Michael has been in the works for several years, with production originally wrapping in May 2024. Afterwards, however, Puck reported that the Jackson estate discovered that the film violated a decades-old legal agreement with the family of Jordan Chandler, who accused Jackson of molesting him when he was 13. (The case eventually settled.)
The agreement stipulated that Chandler’s story would never be dramatized, and the original Michael script purportedly was the case central to the film’s third act, with Jackson portrayed as a victim of extortion. Extensive reshoots followed, and the film’s original March 2025 release date was pushed to April 2026.
Along with the troubled production, Michael has also faced criticism from Jackson’s daughter, Paris, who distanced herself from the project last year. Paris said she read an early script and provided notes about inaccuracies and “full-blown lies,” but producers ignored her concerns.
“The film panders to a very specific section of my dad’s fandom that still lives in the fantasy,” she said. “And they’re going to be happy with it.”
