Michael Jackson fans who want to see his life on the big screen will have to wait a bit longer. Lionsgate has announced that the biopic Michael, originally set to be released in 2025, is instead being moved to sometime after April 2026.
The news came through in the company’s most recent earnings call. The Lionsgate CEO, Jon Feltheimer, said they are happy with the footage they have acquired but need additional time to finalize the release of the movie.
“For our Michael Jackson biopic, we’re looking forward to the 3½ hours of fantastic footage from producer Graham King and director Antoine Fuqua, and we’ll be announcing a final release plan & timing in the coming weeks,” said Feltheimer. “I would add that it is probable that we will take Michael out of the fiscal year, which will affect fiscal ’26 financial results but will add to an already robust fiscal ’27 slate.
That would mean the film will likely be released after March 31, 2026. There are also rumors that the film could be so massive that it would be coming out in two parts.
Michael is being guided by Antoine Fuqua and produced by Graham King, the same producer who made Bohemian Rhapsody, which was a film on Freddie Mercury as well and won an Oscar. Performing as Michael Jackson is Jaafar Jackson—Michael’s actual nephew—making his acting debut on screen. His casting generated a stir, particularly due to the striking similarity to the pop star.
The film concluded its principal photography in May of 2024, but more filming is going to be done, and the script will be rewritten before it is ready to be released. The writer, John Logan, is rewriting it to get the story more perfect.
With a whopping budget of $155 million, the film is one of the most ambitious projects by Lionsgate. It has a star-studded cast as well. Michael’s parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson, will be played by Colman Domingo and Nia Long. Miles Teller will be playing Michael’s lawyer, John Branca.
Other major characters include:
- Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy, founder of Motown
- Laura Harrier as music executive Suzanne de Passe
- Kat Graham as Diana Ross
- Jessica Sula as La Toya Jackson
- Liv Symone Gladys Knight
- Kevin Shinick Dick Clark
- KeiLyn Durrel Jones Bill Bray, Michael’s bodyguard-turned-close friend
Kendrick Sampson Quincy Jones, who collaborated with Michael on his most well-known albums
Although the film was a big splash at Lionsgate’s 2024 CinemaCon event, no new footage was screened this year. That’s another indication that the studio is not rushing things in an effort to get everything just right.
Though the delay is disappointing, it also indicates that the team behind Michael is committed to doing justice to Jackson’s tale in the most appropriate manner. With a solid creative team, an effective cast, and a story unfolding over decades, this film is well on its way to becoming more than just another biopic—it has the potential to be a major motion picture event.
And when it does open in theaters, it will be sure to remind the world why the world still refers to Michael Jackson as the King of Pop
