The King of Pop returns (again) to the big screen
Let’s be honest: musical biopics are the new bread and butter. Freddie, Elvis, Tina… and now it’s the biggest guy’s turn. Michael, the film about Jackson, already has a date: April 24, 2026. Universal Pictures postponed it for a year to “perfect” the montage. It sounds like a study excuse, but oh well.
The strategy is classic: world premiere in theaters, with IMAX screenings in the US, before falling into streaming. They want you to feel the thriller in your seat.
And who dares to be Michael?
The chosen one is Jaafar Jackson, nephew of the artist and son of Jermaine. The physical resemblance, according to rumor, is disturbing. In the trailer he already launches the iconic phrase:
“I believe that music can change the world, spread love, joy and peace; that’s what I want the world to feel.”
Jaafar started preparing in November 2023. He has experience in TV and music, but this is his first leading role. A leap into the void with the eyes of the world above.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) and the script is by John Logan. They promise to cover everything: from the days of The Jackson 5 under the iron fist of Joseph, to the global madness of Thriller and Bad, without avoiding its tragic end in 2009.
But not everything is honey. Paris Jackson, the singer’s daughter, has publicly distanced herself from the project according to Entertainment Weekly. An uncomfortable reminder that behind the icon there is a real family and wounds that may never heal.
In the end, Hollywood is once again betting on a proven formula: take a legend, wrap it in drama and visual effects, and hope it works. With Michael Jackson, there is plenty of material. The question is whether they manage to capture more than just the dance steps.
