January 03 : Colman Domingo says he ‘completely’ transforms into Joe Jackson for Michael biopic: ‘I don’t look like myself at all’
January 14 : Post-Prod
January 24 : Michael Jackson Biopic Needs Major Reshoots After Discovery of Past Legal Agreement with Molestation Accuser: Report
A source close to the production tells PEOPLE Jan. 24, “The Michael Jackson biopic is not in total chaos. The inflammatory headlines about the moving halting are simply not true. The film is moving forward, and reshoots are happening in March.”
January 30 : Joseph David Jones on Filming New Michael Jackson Biopic!
April 01 : Michael Jackson Fans Fear Biopic Movie Delay After CinemaCon Silence
April 02 : Michael Jackson Biopic ‘Michael’ Could Be Split Into Two Parts; Release Date In Flux – The Dish
Michael Jackson Movie Will Come in Two Parts a la “Wicked” But Not Until 2026 (Exclusive)
Now I can confirm exclusively that “Michael” will be split into 2 two hour films, and they will be released in 2026. There will not be a release in 2025. My sources in the Michael Jackson world are very excited about these developments because the King of Pop, they say, deserves more attention than any other music star.
Michael Jackson Biopic in Flux as Filmmakers Mull Splitting Movie in Two
Producer Graham King is mulling a new reality for the project, but the idea is in early stages and would require sign-off from multiple partners, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.
April 14 : Post-Prod
April 15 : BIOPIC: NOT ONE, BUT TWO MOVIES coming in 2026!
After multiple contacts with different sources within the Estate and Sony camps, we can confirm that the biopic will not be released on 2025. It is still not confirmed that the movie will be split in two.
May 06 : The Estate on the Biopic delays
“The MJ Online Team, the company used by The Estate of Michael Jackson as PR, just emailed about the delay of the biopic and other projects. While we were all aware of the delays and now looking at a 2026 release, few new elements came to light as it seems the Estate is also planning documentaries on “Dangerous” and “HIStory”! But no worries, they have also been delayed and seems to be released after the biopic! And for those who really wanted a clear date of release for the Biopic, so sorry but you are not getting it yet!”
May 22 : Lionsgate Confirms It May Split Michael Jackson Biopic Into Two Movies As Release Is Pushed – Update
Lionsgate Studios is moving the release of anticipated biopic Michael from this fall into its fiscal 2027 but didn’t give a new release date. That means it’s at a year or more away. The company’s fiscal year 2026 just started in April.“In regard to our Michael Jackson biopic, we’re excited about the 3½ hours of amazing footage from producer Graham King and director Antoine Fuqua, and we will be announcing a definitive release strategy and timing in the next few weeks. I would note that it is likely we will move Michael out of the fiscal year which will impact fiscal ’26 financial results but will bolster an already strong fiscal 27 slate,” said CEO Jon Felthimer on a conference call with financial analysts after quarterly earnings.
Lionsgate film chief Adam Fogelson confirmed the company is exploring splitting its Michael Jackson biopic into two films.
“At the end, when you look at the music library, when you look at what Michael Jackson was able to deliver in terms of music and contributions to art, whether or not that can be fit into one movie comfortably or not is a question that we are absolutely asking,” he said on a call after quarterly earnings. “We’ll be ready to answer more specifically in the coming weeks.” He was responding to a question on why the film has been delayed by an analyst, who also noted the three and half hour cut referenced by CEO Jon Feltheimer in opening remarks. “Any number of the biggest motion pictures over the last ten or 20 years have had first cuts of movies that were well in excess three and a half hours,” Fogelson said. “And when Jon mentioned the footage, it wasn’t a cut, it was an accumulation of scenes that we’ve seen.”
May 23 : Michael Jackson Biopic Moonwalking to 22 Days of Additional Photography in June (Exclusive)
Michael, the in-flux Michael Jackson biopic, is prepping for a bulky 22-day set of additional photography to be held in June, multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. The not-insignificant shoot comes as King, the Jackson Estate and studio partners Lionsgate and Universal are still mulling how to move forward in light of a legal issue, with the movie most likely being split into two parts. The new shoot seems to indicate that headway is being made. Sources tell THR that while a script for a potential second film still needs to be finalized, the planned June shoot would be for the first film. While the term “reshoots” has been bandied about, in this case it’s less about reshooting what has already been shot but rather expand what was half a film into feature length. Sources say the new film will now end with Jackson leaving the Jackson 5 after the release of his first solo album, Off the Wall. (Yes, Bubbles the chimpanzee will be in the first film.)
June 12 : Journalist and member of the MJ Cast Charles Thomson see production trucks and security staff from Michael Movie in front of Hayvenhurst.
June 14 : Biopic reshoot set and confirmed
Some reshoot for the biopic have been set to take place on June 18 from 7am to 10pm in Los Angeles, in the intersection of N Spring Street and Wilhardt Street but also at S Avenue 18. Same locations than previously used last year in March. There is no more information what will be reshoot for the biopic and it is clear that the Biopic will not be released in 2025 for those who still hoped.
According to IMDB, Nico Parker is set to play young Latoya Jackson in the #michaelmovie
June 15 : Message on X : “Nia Long and Larenz Tate celebrated the classic “Love Jones” at the American Black Film Festival over the weekend. The two will also be in the upcoming “Michael” biopic as Katherine Jackson and Berry Gordy. I was there. It was amazing. The opening night of the festival Wednesday, 1st Lady of the ABFF, Nicole Friday mentioned Nia Long was in LA filming on the Michael movie set. And of course Larenz told the crowd he was cast as the incomparable Mr. Berry Gordy.”
June 17 : Nia Long shares a short video on the set of Michael Movie on her Insta story.
June 20 : Filming of exterior scenes for Motown 25 yesterday in Pasadena, CA for Michael Movie. From video leaks, it looks like they’re shooting a red carpet scene, with celebs walking by.
June 26 : Fans find out about new filming sessions set to take place at Elysian Park, Los Angeles on July 01 and at 430 Colyton Street, Los Angeles, on July 2 and 3. Still NO official news on the release date of Michael Movie in 2026 or whether or not the movie is split into two parts…
July 01 : The biopic production team are set up at a house by Griffith Park, which is apparently Quincy Jones’ house in the movie.
July 07 : The boy from OZ who leapt to the top in Hollywood : Beebe’s big upcoming film is Michael, the story of mega music star Michael Jackson, directed by Antoine Fuqua. The UK-US production has some Screen Australia funding.
“Michael has been a fascinating journey,” he says. “We’ve been shooting already (at Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles and various California locations) and we’re about to restart shooting. The story has expanded and grown. Graham King, who’s producing, has wanted to address that.
“When we shot the first time we found that Michael’s catalogue is so huge, there are so many incredible songs, and we did a lot of performance. I think we were at an hour-and-a-half of just performance, without anyone saying a word of dialogue. So that’s what has led to us to try to expand the narrative.
“I will say that Jaafar Jackson, Jermaine’s son, has been an absolute revelation,” Beebe says. “It’s like the 28-year-old was born to play his uncle. He has Michael’s physicality and looks like Michael at a certain stage of Michael’s life. He can dance like Michael, which I never thought I’d ever say anyone could do, but this kid can. Truly, the closest you’ll ever get to seeing Michael perform again is watching Jaafar.”
July 18 : Mick Jagger to appear in “Michael”
July 23 : Michael Jackson Biopic Moves to April (Variety) : The Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” will open in standard theaters and in Imax worldwide on April 24, moving from its earlier October date. Lionsgate is releasing the film domestically, with Universal handling distribution in the rest of the world except for Japan, which is handled by Kino Films.
Lionsgate & Universal’s Michael Jackson Biopic ‘Michael’ Moves To Pre-Summer 2026 (Deadline) : EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate and Universal‘s Michael Jackson biopic Michael is officially moving to Friday, April 24, and that’s a global theatrical release. At the same time, we hear that a second movie about Jackson remains in development. The delay with Michael has been twofold, one being its length — there was a first cut in excess of 3½ hours. There also have been reports that the initial cut of the movie made references to 13-year old Jordan Chandler, who accused Jackson of molestation and who the pop singer settled with for $20M in 1994 with no admission of guilt. While the screenplay by three-time Oscar nominee John Logan was developed, approved by the estate and shot to include Chandler, after production wrapped, it was revealed there was an agreement for him not to be included. Hence the production had to go back and re-approach the material.
July 24 : Michael Jackson Biopic Coming as One Film in April 2026, Will Probably Celebrate Music and Avoid Legal Problems : A decision has finally been made about the Michael Jackson biopic. Lionsgate has set a release for April 24, 2026. “Michael” will be one film, not two. It will likely be a celebration of Jackson’s music and avoid the legal troubles that plagued him starting in 1993.
August 07 : “As per the The Hollywood Reporter, the Michael biopic is confirmed on Lionsgate’s revenue call, the #michaelmovie is confirmed for that April. 24, 2026. However, it is also listed as a tentpole for the 2027 fiscal calendar as a major earner, which is something to pay attention to in regards to the longstanding rumors that Michael might be divided into two parts as film tentpoles can be films with multiple movies/franchises. Also, the films alongside, go deep into the ‘27 fiscal calendar, and will be released months after April 2026”
August 29 : In Las Vegas, the annual Michael Jackson Birthday Celebration, organized by the Estate, takes place on the MJ ONE stage. Karen Langford opens the event as host. She is soon joined on stage by Prince Jackson, who presents a Diamond RIAA Certification Award for Off the Wall, making it the third Michael Jackson album to achieve this honor. Karen and Prince then have a conversation about Michael Jackson, sharing personal stories, favorite tour memories, and reflections on his humanitarian work. They are later joined by Jamie King, who speaks about the recent enhancements made to the MJ ONE show. Karen reveals that MJ ONE has been extended to 2030. Before closing, Karen surprises the audience with a heartfelt video from the staff, cast, and production team of the Michael Jackson biopic — including Jaafar Jackson — sending birthday wishes to Michael and Jermajesty. The video was filmed on set, including at Hayvenhurst. She also reveals that the final day of filming had coincidentally taken place on August 29. Source : MJVIBE.
Bill Corso, the Oscar-winning makeup artist for the Michael Jackson biopic, shares that principal photography has officially wrapped : “Its a wrap….3 years ago I met with Academy Award Winning Film maker, Producer, Graham King to consult on a project he was about to do that presented a considerable amount of Makeup challenges and he was curious as to how someone might approach it. After that meeting, I was not only doing the film, but didn’t realize I was about to embark on a film making journey that would become one of the greatest and most fulfilling experiences of my life, both professionally and personally. Today we wrapped Principle Photography on the Birthday of our subject. Suffice to say, the cast, crew and all the artists that blessed my Dept and the film with their talents, know how special this project was and how much love was put into it. I can’t wait to see it all come together but more importantly, I can’twait to see how the rest of the world reacts. April 24, 2026”
September 01 : Colman Domingo Credits Paris Jackson for ‘Helpful’ Guidance in Portraying Her Grandfather Joe Jackson in New Film (Exclusive)
September 04 : Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris criticises ‘sugar-coated’ biopic about her father : Paris Jackson has criticised an upcoming biopic of her father, Michael Jackson, saying she had “zero per cent involvement” in the film, which she suggests has been “sugar-coated” in a broader swipe at Hollywood biopics that contain “full-blown lies”.On Tuesday night Paris took to Instagram to reject Domingo’s version of events. “Don’t be telling people I was ‘helpful’ on the set of a movie I had zero per cent involvement in lol that is so weird,” the 27-year-old singer and actor wrote. “I read one of the first drafts of the script and gave my notes about what was dishonest / didn’t sit right with me, and when they didn’t address it, I moved on with my life. “Not my monkeys, not my circus. God bless and God speed.” She later expanded on her comments in follow-up Instagram stories, saying she had been explicitly told the production would not address her notes. “So I just butted out and left it alone because it’s not my project,” she said. “They’re going to make whatever they’re going to make. A big reason why I haven’t said anything up until this point is because I know a lot of you guys are gonna be happy with it. “A big section of the film panders to a very specific section of my dad’s fandom that still lives in the fantasy, and they’re gonna be happy with it.” Paris continued to critique the “sugar-coated” Hollywood biopic model generally: “The narrative is being controlled and there’s a lot of inaccuracy and there’s a lot of just full-blown lies. At the end of the day, that doesn’t really fly with me. Go enjoy it. Do whatever. Leave me out of it.”
October 06 : “The MJ movie is ready for its close-up: At this point, the highest-stakes film of next year may be Michael, the Michael Jackson biopic that, due to the rights issue with a former child molestation accuser, had to be totally reconceived by director Antoine Fuqua and writer John Logan. Additional photography has now wrapped, and the film ends after Jackson’s triumphant rise to fame in the ’80s. So all the footage of MJ’s later King of Pop (and scandal-plagued) years, including two weeks of shooting at Neverland Ranch, now owned by Ron Burkle, is unusable. Producer Graham King’s plan is to make a second Michael movie that would include all that stuff, plus a significant amount of additional, yet-to-be-shot footage with stars Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo, and Miles Teller, but that will now depend on—yes, you guessed it—how the film is received by audiences next April. If it’s a hit, or if all signs are pointing that direction, they greenlight part two, and if not, producers eat all that unused footage. (Remember, the Jackson estate is paying for costs associated with the production debacle.) Lionsgate and Universal, which has international rights to the film, will attach the Michael trailer to Wicked: For Good in November.”
October 08 : Lionsgate’s team launch Tik Tok and Thread pages for Michael Movie without any content.
October 17 : Nia Long Teases Role as Michael Jackson’s ‘Strong’ Mom Katherine in Biopic: ‘I Get So Emotional’ (Exclusive) : Long reveals she has yet to catch the biopic, as it’s still in development. “We are all waiting to see the film,” she says of the filmmaking team. Telling Katherine and her family’s story, Long adds, “was an opportunity of a lifetime — and not kind of a dream come true, a dream come true.”
October 28 : Several movies websites announce that the “Michael” trailer will be released in November.
November 01 : The Financial Times publishes a long piece on John Branca where he talks about the biopic : “Branca wants this movie to be big. Bigger than Queen’s biopic, or Elvis’s, or Bob Dylan’s. He expects it will “leave them in the dust”. But right now, that’s far from certain. Strewn across his desk are term sheets with the movie’s backers, Lionsgate and Universal Pictures, which have poured $155mn into the project, according to people familiar with the deal. “If you’re in the middle of the NBA championship series and, you know, it’s a close game, you’re not sitting there thinking, ‘Oh, I really enjoy this’,” Branca says, sighing. “The music business is so easy compared to the movie business.” (…) Branca tells me the movie “is not defensive at all”. “We’re not out to declare Michael’s innocence. The aim is to tell Michael’s story. What was his journey? Who was he? Michael deserves to tell his own story, because you’ve got all these creeps telling their story and it ain’t true.” (…) Branca’s insistence on loyalty has already shaped the film. “After Leaving Neverland, I sensed a wavering force among the first people attached to the movie,” he says. “And unless you understand that Michael’s innocent, we can’t have you.” Taylor Hackford, originally in line to direct, was dropped, according to Branca. Graham King, producer of Bohemian Rhapsody, came in soon after. Lionsgate’s movie chair Adam Fogelson told me, “The specific reasons for some of the [script] changes here are unusual. There’s no question about that.” But he pushed back on the idea that Branca or the estate are steering the film. “We were significantly involved,” Fogelson said. “While it is absolutely true that the estate has an involvement in this, I think the idea that they creatively control the project is a flawed premise. This was not designed to be simply a puff piece.”
November 02 : Universal Pictures promotes the biopic to Chinese distributors, confirming Jaafar Jackson’s over 90% accuracy in portraying his uncle and announcing the Chinese title as “Michael Jackson: The Journey of a Superstar,” calling it “good things are worth waiting for.”
November 06 : The “Michael” movie promo is launched with the release of the first poster and first teaser on social medias, You Tube + the official website of the film.
Michael’ Trailer: Michael Jackson Becomes the King of Pop in First Footage From Biopic : Lionsgate has released the trailer for “Michael,” Antoine Fuqua‘s upcoming biopic chronicling the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The teaser will make its theatrical debut ahead of “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t.” Jackson is played by his nephew, Jaafar Jackson. The trailer opens with the iconic singer in the studio with Quincy Jones (Kendrick Sampson), who says: “I know you’ve been waiting a long time for this. The tracks are made, the songs are ready. Let’s take it from the top.” Clips of Jackson’s childhood and iconic performances and music videos, including “Thriller,” flash by as his 1982 hit “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” plays.
Many family members congratulate Jaafar and share the teaser including Prince, Taj, Genevieve, Randy Jr, Donte, Jermajesty etc. Paris, Janet & LaToya stay silent.
‘Michael’ Teaser Delivers 30M+ Views In First Six Hours; Lionsgate Motion Picture Chair Provides Update On Potential Sequel : In its first six hours after dropping today, the first teaser for Michael from Lionsgate racked up over 30 million views, 50% more than what John Wick: Chapter 4 delivered in its first six hours. Lionsgate had to break up Michael into two parts, not only because of the original cut’s 3 1/2 hour length, but also because footage was shot centering around one of Jackson’s accusers; their settlement with the singer’s estate guaranteed they’d never be dramatized. The Jackson estate overlooked this detail when putting Michael into development. Addressing the optionality for a second half of Michael, Fogelson replied, “Since the last time we worked together on an earnings call, we’ve had the great pleasure of seeing the director’s cut of the first film, and it is exceptional.” He continued, “While we’re not yet ready to confirm plans for a second film, I can tell you that the creative team is hard at work making sure that we’re in a position to deliver more Michael soon after we release the first film.” “People have been waiting a long time for this,” said Fogelson about Michael, “I think people are stunned with Jaafar’s (Jackson’s) performance.”
November 08 : ‘Michael’ Teaser Traffic Racks Up 116M+ Views In First 24 Hours, Record Trailer Launch For Lionsgate : “After making its debut to the world, the teaser trailer for Michael soared to 116.2 million views worldwide in its first 24 hours. That’s the largest 24-hour trailer launch ever in Lionsgate‘s history and the most-viewed trailer for any music biopic or concert movie in motion picture history.”
November 13 : The upcoming biopic “MICHAEL”, depicting the life and legacy of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, is set to be released in Japan in June 2026. MICHAEL will be distributed in Japan by Kino Films, following its international release in April 2026.
November 22 : “MICHAEL” Trailer Surpassed 300 Million Views : “When the MICHAEL biopic teaser dropped, it instantly broke records: 116.2 million views in its first 24 hours, the biggest launch ever for a music biopic trailer. Now, just weeks after that historic debut, the buzz isn’t slowing down. Across social media, the total views for the teaser have now surpassed 300 million.”
Jackson Dynasty 