First Look: Jaafar Jackson Transforms Into His Uncle Michael Jackson in the Upcoming Biopic ‘MICHAEL’ 🎬✨
Set to hit theaters on April 24, 2026, the film promises to capture the King of Pop’s rise, legacy, and untold moments — with Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s real-life nephew, stepping into the moonwalk like never before. Fans are already calling it “the most accurate portrayal yet.”
The King of Pop is set to reclaim his throne on the big screen, and it’s his own blood pulling off the ultimate impersonation. Lionsgate dropped the first teaser trailer for MICHAEL, the long-awaited biopic chronicling the extraordinary life of Michael Jackson, on Thursday, November 6, 2025. Starring Jaafar Jackson—Michael’s real-life nephew—as the enigmatic superstar, the minute-long clip is a masterclass in resurrection, blending heart-pounding performances, behind-the-scenes genius, and a haunting reminder of the man behind the myth. Slated for a worldwide theatrical release on April 24, 2026, in IMAX, the film promises to “humanize but not sanitize” the icon’s triumphs, tragedies, and unbreakable spirit.
From the moment the screen fades in with Quincy Jones’ voiceover—“I know you’ve been waiting a long time for this”—it’s clear MICHAEL isn’t just a movie; it’s a resurrection. Jaafar, the 28-year-old son of Jermaine Jackson, slips into his uncle’s skin with eerie precision. We see him nailing the moonwalk in a dimly lit studio, recreating the spine-tingling “Thriller” choreography amid fog-shrouded dancers, and commanding the stage during the Bad era with that signature fedora tilt and glove flash. His vocal mimicry? Spot-on. In one scene, Jaafar-as-Michael croons a high-pitched plea to dim the lights during a recording session, only for Jones (played by Kendrick Sampson) to quip, “OK, but remember: In here, keep those feet still, my man.” It’s a playful nod to MJ’s irrepressible urge to dance, even when the music stops. The teaser closes on a poignant note: archival footage of the real Michael, mid-performance, dissolving into Jaafar’s gaze—two generations of magic, forever linked.
The internet, predictably, erupted. “Jaafar Jackson isn’t playing Michael—he is Michael. Chills. Actual chills,” tweeted @Music, the post amassing over 1,100 likes in hours. Fan accounts like @MJJJusticePrjct hailed it as a legacy honor: “Jaafar Jackson doing his Uncle Michael PROUD!! #MichaelJackson Movie due in theaters April 2026 😍😍😍.” Memes flooded timelines, from side-by-side comparisons of Jaafar’s Dangerous tour pose to MJ’s originals (“Nephew level: God mode unlocked”) to edits syncing the teaser’s beats with “Billie Jean.” One viral clip from @aboyobbhuyan racked up 18 likes, declaring, “So many similarities, so many iconic moments. This is going to be one of the biggest films of all time for sure.” Even skeptics converted: “DUDEEEEEEEE HE LOOKS JUST LIKE HIM,” posted @jr_gretzer, sparking a thread of 500+ replies.
But MICHAEL’s journey to the screen has been anything but smooth. Announced in 2019 with Oscar-nominated screenwriter John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator) penning the script, the project hit warp speed in January 2023 when Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer) signed on to direct and Jaafar was cast after a global search. “With Jaafar, every look, every note, every dance move is Michael,” producer Graham King (Bohemian Rhapsody) raved at the time. Katherine Jackson, Michael’s mother, echoed the sentiment: “Jaafar embodies my son. It’s so wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy.” Filming kicked off in January 2024—delayed by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike—and wrapped in May, only for reshoots to balloon into 22 days of additional photography in June 2025. Whispers of a four-hour runtime led to talks of splitting it into two parts, but Lionsgate settled on a taut 3.5-hour epic.
The delays pushed the release from April 18, 2025, to October 3, 2025, and finally to April 24, 2026, amid rumors of script tweaks to tackle Jackson’s thornier chapters—like the child abuse allegations that shadowed his later years. The film, made with full cooperation from the Michael Jackson Estate (co-producers John Branca and John McClain), vows to confront them head-on. “This is a story of Michael’s life beyond the music,” reads the official synopsis, “tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson 5… to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world.” Fuqua, in a 2024 interview, emphasized balance: “We’re not shying away from the complexities. It’s about the human side—the genius, the pain, the joy.”
Jaafar’s transformation is the film’s secret weapon. Raised in the Jackson family spotlight, the Dubai-born performer grew up idolizing his uncle, whom he met only a handful of times before Michael’s 2009 death at 50. “I’ve been preparing for this my whole life,” Jaafar told Variety in February 2024, fresh off first-look photos from the Dangerous tour set. Photographed by Kevin Mazur—the same lensman who captured MJ’s This Is It rehearsals—Jaafar stood in a white V-neck and trench coat, microphone in hand, evoking ghosts of stadiums past. “When I walked onto the set, I felt like I’d gone back in time,” Mazur said. Jaafar, a singer-songwriter with his own EP Wings under his belt, trained rigorously: vocal coaching to match MJ’s falsetto, choreography with a team of original Jackson dancers, and mannerism studies via hours of footage. “He’s not imitating; he’s channeling,” Fuqua noted during reshoots.
The ensemble bolsters the authenticity. Colman Domingo (Rustin) commands as the formidable Joe Jackson, the patriarch whose tough love forged the Jackson 5. Nia Long (The Best Man) brings warmth as matriarch Katherine. Miles Teller (Top Gun: Maverick) suits up as Branca, the lawyer who safeguarded MJ’s catalog. Laura Harrier (Spider-Man: Homecoming) embodies Motown exec Suzanne de Passe, while Larenz Tate (Love Jones) channels Berry Gordy. Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries) dazzles as Diana Ross, Jessica Sula (Split) as LaToya Jackson, and young Michael falls to newcomer Juliano Krue Valdi for the Motown-era flashbacks. Additional heavy-hitters include Liv Symone as Gladys Knight, Kevin Shinick as Dick Clark, and Derek Luke in a supporting role. With a $155 million budget—eye-watering for a biopic—the production recreated landmarks like Neverland Ranch and the Thriller set, sourcing original wardrobe and prosthetics for Jaafar’s evolving looks from cherubic child star to sequined sovereign.
Not all reactions are moonwalks. Michael’s daughter, Paris Jackson, voiced unease in a May 2025 Rolling Stone interview, calling early cuts “sugar-coated” and fearing a whitewash of her father’s struggles. “He was human—flawed, brilliant, misunderstood,” she said. “I hope they get that right.” The 2019 HBO doc Leaving Neverland, with its graphic abuse claims, looms large; the Jacksons dismissed it as a “public lynching,” but critics like @tafkaay on X joked, “Jaafar as Michael Jackson wins 8 [Grammys] even before the soundtrack or movie is out—let’s see if it tackles the real talk.” Still, the teaser’s reception skews triumphant. “OH MY GOD… that’s a heck of a teaser. Jaafar looks almost exactly like his uncle,” gushed @jakejameslugo. @DailyMailCeleb linked to a breakdown: “Michael Jackson’s nephew Jaafar looks just like him in first movie trailer about Pop King’s life.”
As MICHAEL gears up, it joins a biopic boom that’s minted gold (Bohemian Rhapsody grossed $910 million) but stumbled (Bob Marley: One Love hit $184 million amid mixed reviews). With Fuqua’s kinetic flair—think Training Day grit meets Emancipation spectacle—and a soundtrack packed with MJ classics like “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” “Human Nature,” and “P.Y.T.,” expectations are stratospheric. Jaafar, now repped by CAA post-casting, hinted at more: “This is just the beginning. Uncle Michael’s story deserves the epic it is.” For a new generation craving that Thriller thrill, and old fans aching for one more encore, April 2026 can’t come soon enough. As one X user put it, “The king is back—and he’s family.”
In a cultural moment starved for icons, MICHAEL arrives as both tribute and time machine. Jaafar’s not just stepping into shoes; he’s lacing up the legacy, ready to heave-ho the world into a frenzy. Beat it? Nah—this one’s here to stay.
