FIRST TRAILER FOR 'MAGICAL' MICHAEL JACKSON BIOPIC SEES KING OF POP'S NEPHEW TAKE ON LEAD ROLE

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The first trailer for the 'magical' new Michael Jackson biopic has given fans a sneak peek of what to expect as the King of Pop's nephew takes on the role. 

Jafaar Jackson, the son of Michael's brother Jermaine Jackson, takes on the role of the Billie Jean singer in the film, titled Michael, which is due for release in April. 

The movie will tell the story of the hitmakers life beyond the music, from his days as lead of the Jackson Five to the height of his 1980s fame. 

And a first look sees Jaafar, 29, transformed into Michael - and joined by his iconic pet monkey Bubbles for one scene together as they sit down to read a book. 

Other scenes see Jafaar performing on stage as his late uncle, as well as recording his hits in the studio, and heading on tour to satisfy demand from international fans. 

The film will also include recreations of the Thriller music video, and the moment Jackson was taken to hospital after being burned filming a Pepsi advert. 

The late star’s estate signed off on the making of the film, with Jaafar then cast as the leading role - alongside Hollywood stars Colman Domingo and Miles Teller. 

The movie was due to be released last year, but was pushed back to this Spring over supposed legal issues that led to required reshoots and revisions to the script. 

Acclaimed filmmaker Antoine Fuqua, who is behind the likes of Training Day and The Equalizer, directed the project, and heaped praise on Jaafar. 

He said: 'It goes beyond the physical resemblance. It’s Michael’s spirit that comes through in a magical way. You have to experience it to believe it.'

Despite the singer's estate approving the movie, Jackson's daughter Paris, 27 distanced herself from the project over 'inaccuracies'.   

'The narrative is being controlled and there’s a lot of inaccuracy and there’s a lot of just full-blown lies,' she said. 'At the end of the day, that doesn’t really fly with me.'

'Go enjoy it. Do whatever. Leave me out of it,' she concluded. 

Elsewhere in the film, Michael's fractious relationship with father Joe laid bare - with the father and son enduring a strained relationship. 

Joe ruled over his children with an iron fist - and is a topic which the film doesn't shy away from covering, showing the Jackson Five rehearsing at home. 

After Joe (played by Colman Domingo) details his plans to take his family's success to the next level, Michael is shown hesitating. 

'I'm planning an international tour. This is just the beginning!' Joe happily exclaims to reporters in one scene shown in the trailer. 

But the thought makes Michael pause. 'I need to think,' he says during a private meeting with his family, to which Joe hits back: 'I told you what I think.'

'I love my family, but I just wanna do my own thing,' Michael says. 'I just have all these ideas in my own head. I just need to get them out.' 

Michael's career began alongside his siblings as part of the family's Jackson Five band. It was Joe who served as the band's manager and pushed them to success. 

'Let me tell you something. In this life, you're either a winner or a loser. Y'all want to work at a steel mill like me for the rest of your days?' Joe asks his children over dinner in another scene. 'Because I sure as hell don't. Y'all willing to fight for it?' 

Michael's mother Katherine Jackson is played by Nia Long, who sweetly tells him at one point: 'Michael, I knew you were different the moment you were born.'

The first trailer for Michael was released in November and came after a number of delays, with the biopic initially slated to hit theaters last April. 

However, it was pushed back to October 2025 which was then followed by a third delay - with the official release date in theatres now set for April 24, 2026.

Sources told Deadline back in July that one of the reasons for the delay was due to 'distribution plans' - with the film set to be shown on IMAX screens.

Another reason was due to an excessive running time, with one edit of the movie being over three and a half hours long.

Other delays were the result of certain references to Jordan Chandler - an individual who had accused Michael of sexual assault - which had to be taken out of one of the edited drafts due to a pre-existing agreement.

Insiders also told the outlet that a second movie about the Smooth Criminal hitmaker is in development.

Jaafar - who is the son of Jermaine, 71, and Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza - has been filming scenes of the biopic since 2023.

In early 2023, Jaafar was revealed to have been cast as the leading role of Michael in the biopic.

At the time, he jumped to his social media pages to express his excitement.

He shared a black and white image of himself wearing a similar outfit his late uncle had worn in the past while striking a dance pose inside a studio.

'I'm humbled and honoured to bring my Uncle Michael's story to life. To all the fans all over the world, I'll see you soon,' he penned in the caption.

Other stars that have been cast in the project include Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Kat Graham, Jessica Sula, Kendrick Sampson and Juliano Krue Valdi. 

Back in 2023, director Fuqua stated that Jaafar has an 'uncanny' resemblance to his late uncle.

'It's uncanny how much he's like Michael,' the filmmaker previously told Entertainment Weekly. 'Sounds like him, dances like him, sings.'

He continued by admitting, 'It's really uncanny. Graham King, who is a fantastic producer, found him, and introduced him to me, and I was blown away.'

Michael will be released in cinemas on April 24

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2026-02-04T13:43:50Z