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The first trailer for the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic Michael was unveiled by Lionsgate Movies on November 6, 2025. Featuring the late singer's nephew Jaafar Jackson in the lead role as his uncle, the film's recently released trailer broke every record for the most views recorded within 24 hours for any biopic trailer ever. Michael trailer garnered over 116.2 million views within its first 24 hours, setting a major bar for any biographical film. It also represents the biggest first-day trailer launch in the history of distributor Lionsgate. Set for release on April 24, 2026, the film is directed by Antoine Fuqua and produced by Graham King.Michael trailer breaks record as the most viewed biopic trailer with over 116.2 million views within 24 hoursThe upcoming biopic Michael promises a comprehensive look at Jackson’s life, charting his path from a young star in the Jackson Five to becoming one of the most influential solo artists in modern pop culture.Notably, the film's trailer surpassed the trailer for Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which previously held the record with 96.1 million views. Furthermore, it overtook the trailer records of other major biopics, including Bob Marley: One Love (60.1 million views) and the Oscar-winning Freddie Mercury film, Bohemian Rhapsody (57.6 million views).On a studio level, the viewing figures also made it the largest 24-hour trailer debut in Lionsgate history, outpacing the launch of their previous action powerhouse, the John Wick: Chapter 4 Final Trailer, by over 50% in the first six hours alone.Led by Jaafar Jackson, the film will also feature Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, and Nia Long starring Katherine Jackson. Key industry figures are also featured, with Miles Teller portraying John Branca, the entertainment lawyer and long-time manager who guided Michael through much of his solo career.Scheduled to be released on April 2026, the film faced significant delays and several script changes due to a complex legal complication that emerged late in filming. The issue stemmed from a decades-old settlement between the Jackson estate and the Chandler family, whose 1993 allegations against the pop icon marked one of the most controversial chapters of his life.The agreement reportedly prohibited any dramatization or depiction of the Chandlers or their experiences in film or television. Initially, screenwriter John Logan’s script was said to have included the early-1990s allegations as a key component of the film’s third act, portraying Jackson’s perspective during the scandal.However, after principal photography had largely concluded, the film's producers discovered that the legal restrictions rendered substantial portions of the filmed material unusable. Michael Director Antoine Fuqua and the production team were forced to conduct major rewrites and reshoots to restructure the plot and comply with the legal regulations.Stay tuned for more updates.
