Universal and Lionsgate have released the first trailer for Michael, the upcoming biopic based on the life and career of Michael Jackson. The project, which has been mired in controversy due to its subject, is set for release next year after being delayed out of 2025 due to recent reshoots.
Directed by The Equalizer trilogy's Antoine Fuqua and starring Jackson's real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson as the singer, the film follows Jackson's success in the music industry from his childhood in the Jackson 5 to his death at the age of 50 in 2009.
The trailer gives us some narration from Kendrick Sampson's Quincy Jones and flashes of moments from across his career, as well as a few brief glimpses of Miles Teller, Colman Domingo and Nia Long.
The film, which has been penned by Skyfall writer John Logan, has been contentious due to Jackson's personal life, with the singer being accused of child sex offences. A case in 1993 was settled out-of-court, with Jackson not facing any criminal charges.
In 2003, the documentary Living with Michael Jackson — which featured Jackson holding hands with a 12-year-old boy and discussing their sleeping arrangements — was followed by formal charges of multiple counts of child molestation and intoxicating a minor.
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The singer pleaded not guilty to all charges, and in the end he was acquitted on all counts by a jury in June 2005.
Years after his 2009 death, which was ruled as involuntary manslaughter by his doctor, choreographer Wade Robson and James Safechuck filed lawsuits also accusing him of child sexual abuse.
The lawsuits were dismissed due to time limitations, but the pair repeated the claims in the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, which led to a public reappraisal of Jackson and a lawsuit between the family estate and network HBO.
Jackson and his family have consistently denied any allegations of improper relationships with children.
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Regarding where the film stands on the issue, producer Graham King said (via The Guardian): "Michael's life was complicated. As a filmmaker, I look to humanise but not sanitise [the issue].
"[I will try to] present the most compelling, unbiased story I can capture in a single feature film and let the audience decide how they feel after watching it. Michael clearly remains an impactful, culturally relevant artist with a life and legacy worth exploring."
It's unknown how much the film — which was reportedly set to be two originally — will delve into this side of Jackson's story, but the trailer seems more focused on the music and his career.
Michael is set to be released on 24 April, 2026.
Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he's covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I'm a Fish.
