The trailer for Michael, the highly-anticipated biopic about the King of Pop Michael Jackson, was reportedly a ‘crowd-pleasing hit’ at CinemaCon, according to Variety.
The film’s first look occurred during Lionsgate’s presentation to theater owners on Wednesday, a year before it is expected to hit theaters on April 18, 2025.
The sneak peek did not disappoint as it began with Jackson (portrayed in the movie by the legend’s own nephew Jaafar) on stage as he performed some of his greatest hits, including Man in the Mirror and Thriller.
In the footage, fans hung on to his every word as they sang along to the hit tracks, which helped make him of one the most best-selling artists of all time.
The trailer for Michael, the highly-anticipated biopic about the King of Pop Michael Jackson, was reportedly a ‘crowd-pleasing hit’ at CinemaCon, according to Variety; Jaafar Jackson pictured in the title role
While the biopic is still halfway in production, Variety reported that it will ‘feature over 30’ of Jackson’s songs and recreated a number of them, ‘starting with Jackson 5’s classic rendition of ABC on American Bandstand.
Nia Long, who portrays the late pop star’s mother Nia Long, tells her gifted child that he has a ‘a very special light’ and to ‘make that light shine onto the world.’
‘There might be some people who think you’re different, and that’s gonna make life a little harder for you,’ she warned him. ‘But you never were like anyone else.’
Later, Michael says whenever he’s ‘not onstage everything feels foreign’ to him.
In another voice-over, the Smooth Criminal hitmaker raves that performing transports his ‘entire being’ and makes the world ‘feel like magic.’
During the session, producer Graham King said he was ‘looking forward to giving to the audience a thrill like they’ve never seen before.’
‘It is a story worthy of a cinematic presentation,’ King said, before showing the trailer, per Deadline. ‘For the first time, fans and generations of moviegoers will come together to get an inside look into the most prolific artist who ever lived.’
He noted that he and the filmmakers did their best to ‘find the untold version of the story.’
‘Michael Jackson was an enigma, full of eccentricities and … talent,’ he said. ‘[He was also] simply a man who lived a very complicated life.’
The film’s first look occurred during Lionsgate’s presentation to theater owners on Wednesday, a year before it is expected to hit theaters on April 18, 2025 (Michael Jackson seen in 1990)
The sneak peek did not disappoint as it began with Jackson (portrayed in the movie by the legend’s own nephew Jaafar) on stage as he performed some of his greatest hits, including Man in the Mirror and Thriller
In the footage, fans hung on to his every word as they sang along to the hit tracks, which helped make him of one the most best-selling artists of all time
In addition to highlighting his expansive discography, it will follow Jackson’s ‘life on stage and his life out of the public eye.’
This includes his childhood in Gary, Indiana to not being able to leave his home without getting mobbed by fans.
Variety also claimed that the film will ‘with the abuse’ claims aganist Jackson, who faced multiple allegations of child sexual abuse.
King also teased it would be ‘a long feature film.’
Similar biopics like Elvis (2022), starring Austin Butler as Austin Butler, was 2 hours and 39 minutes, whereas Bohemian Rhapsody, the 2018 biographical musical drama about Freddie Mercury, was 2 hours and 15 minutes.
In addition to highlighting his expansive discography, it will follow Jackson’s ‘life on stage and his life out of the public eye’ (Jackson seen in 1986)
The trailer comes just one month after Leaving Neverland director Dan Reed called the biopic’s script ‘startlingly disingenuous.’
After reading a draft for Michael, the British filmmaker, whose two-part documentary explored allegations of sexual abuse against the King of Pop, expressed outrage over how the movie discredited Wade Robson and James Safechuck ‘contention that Jackson was a pedophile,’ according to Variety.
‘Jackson is only ever seen caring for children with childhood cancer, or dancing with a little girl in a wheelchair, or tucking up multiple little boys, mostly his nephews, at sleepovers,’ Reed told the outlet. ‘It feels like the creators of the movie have been stuck in a room with John Branca and just told what to write.’
He continued: ‘It feels like the creators of the movie have been stuck in a room with John Branca and just told what to write.’
Branca, who was Jackson’s attorney throughout his career, will be played by Miles Teller, alongside Jackson’s nephew Jaafar as the Thriller hitmaker, Colman Domingo as Jackson’s father, Joe, and Long as Jackson’s mother, Katherine.
King also teased it would be ‘a long feature film’ (Jackson seen in 2000)
Directed by Antoine Fuqua with a screenplay written by John Logan, the biographical musical drama follows the life and four-decade career of Michael Jackson, who was one of eight Jackson children, five of which comprised the original pop sensation, the Jackson 5.
Logan, 62, has a long proven track record as a playwright and filmmaker, writing or co-writing the likes of Gladiator (2000), The Aviator (2004), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (2007), Hugo (2011) and the James Bond 007 films Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015).
According to Lionsgate, the film will delve into all aspects of Michael’s life, although it’s unknown how or if the more scandalous controversies of his life, including allegations of child sexual abuse, will be addressed, considering the fact that the biopic is being made in conjunction with the singer’s estate.
‘Michael will bring audiences a riveting and honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated man who became the King of Pop, the official synopsis reads.
‘The film presents his triumphs and tragedies on an epic, cinematic scale — from his human side and personal struggles to his undeniable creative genius, exemplified by his most iconic performances.
‘As never before, audiences will experience an inside look into one of the most influential, trailblazing artists the world has ever known.’
