Michael Jackson Biopic Trailer Electrifies CinemaCon With Moonwalking King of Pop, ‘Thriller' Performance and More

Michael Jackson Biopic Trailer Electrifies CinemaCon With Moonwalking King of Pop, ‘Thriller’ Performance and More

“Michael,” an upcoming biopic about pop legend Michael Jackson that seems guaranteed to spark conversation, debuted a dazzling first look at CinemaCon during Lionsgate’s presentation to theater owners.

The sweeping footage starts as hysterical fans scream along to Jackson as he owns the stage, flashing between performances of hits like “Man in the Mirror, “Thriller” and Jackson 5’s classic rendition of “ABC” on “American Bandstand.” The movie, which will feature over 30 songs and recreate many of his iconic concerts, promises to be a sweeping look at the musician’s life, including the emotional toll that being a superstar took on the shy and private man behind the moonwalk.

“There might be some people who think you’re different, and that’s gonna make life a little harder for you,” his mom, Katherine Jackson, tells her gifted son. “But you never were like anyone else. Michael, you have a very special light. So make that light shine onto the world.”

Later in the footage, he says, “When I’m not onstage everything feels foreign to me.”

There’s a lot of material to mine from the life and times of Jackson. Before rolling the trailer, producer Graham King called the film “an inside look at the most prolific artist who ever lived. There are elements of drama, intrigue and emotional states.” King said he’s been preparing the movie for seven years, interviewing hundreds of people and carefully considering how to condense his complex life and legacy.

“There are biopics – and there’s Michael Jackson,” King said.

Jackson topped charts and moonwalked his way into cultural history with classics like “Beat It”, “Billie Jean”, “Bad,” “Man in the Mirror,” “Black or White” and “Thriller.” But he also faced multiple allegations of child sexual abuse – a 1993 lawsuit involving the singer was settled out of civil court and in 2005 he was tried and acquitted on different claims. Jackson died in 2009 from an overdose of propofol.

“Michael” will deal with the abuse allegations, according to a recent Variety report. But some critics wonder how the filmmakers will contend with the more controversial parts of Jackson’s life and legacy given the involvement of his estate, as well as the fact that two of its executors, John Branca and John McClain, are producers of the film.

“Behind the unrelenting scrutiny and the accusations and the spotlight, he was simply a man – a man with a very complicated life,” he said. “We’ll get into all of it.”

King said the most daunting part of the journey was finding the man to embody a cultural figure like Jackson. “When I started out, everyone said, ‘You’ll never find anyone to play him.”

Well, they didn’t have to look far beyond the performer’s own kin. “Michael” stars Jaafar Jackson, who also happens to be Jackson’s real-life nephew, as the King of Pop. Jaafar Jackson embodies every inch of his uncle in the footage, sporting his signature white button-down, glittery glove and fitted fedora.

He’s surrounded by Oscar-nominee Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson and Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, the superstar’s parents. The ensemble includes  Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Kat Graham, Larenz Tate and Jessica Sula. Antoine Fuqua, a popular filmmaker whose hits include “Training Day” and “The Equalizer,” directs from a script by “Gladiator’s” John Logan.

“Michael” hits theaters on April 18, 2025. The film comes as musical biopics have been embraced by audiences with the likes of “Bohemian Rhapsody” (a look at Queen frontman Freddie Mercury), “Rocketman” (the story of Elton John), “Elvis” and “Bob Marley: One Love” connecting at the box office.

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