Michael Jackson made his way to CinemaCon, in the first footage from Lionsgate’s “Michael,” opening next spring. The studio closed out their presentation with the footage from the still-in-production biopic.
The footage included clips of Michael’s childhood with his brothers, with the Jackson 5 glumly heading out to another show on a snowy morning (Their mercurial father Joe Jackson is played by recent Oscar nominee Colman Domingo). We also see Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s actual nephew (his father is Jermaine Jackson), as the older version of Michael – both in the “Thriller” years and later in the footage performing “Man in the Mirror.”
As Jackson, Jaafar says that when he’s not on stage, “Everything feels… foreign to me.”
The footage also features Nia Long as the boys’ mother Katherine. She says, “There is a light within you, Michael… and you need to let it shine to the world.”
As part of the presentation, it was also announced that “Michael” would feature 30 songs.
Lionsgate will distribute “Michael” domestically, with Universal Pictures handling the international distribution. The cast also features Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Kat Graham, Larenz Tate and Kendrick Sampson. It is directed by Antoine Fuqua and was written by John Logan.
“Michael” hits theaters on April 18, 2025.
