Summary

  • Antoine Fuqua's Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" to start filming soon, with a release date announced by Lionsgate and Universal.
  • "Michael" marks Fuqua's directorial venture into the life of the King of Pop, following his involvement since 2023.
  • Fans can look forward to the eagerly awaited film hitting theaters in 2025.

Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic Michael sets a spring 2025 release date, as the start of filming nears. One of the true icons of pop music, Jackson, who ed away in 2009, suffered an unprecedented fall from grace due to allegations of child sexual abuse. Despite his tarnished image, the Thriller hitmaker remains hugely popular, and is set to get the musical biopic treatment like fellow icons Johnny Cash, Freddie Mercury, Elton John and Elvis Presley.

It’s yet to be seen whether audiences will embrace the Jackson biopic as they embraced films about the lives of those other great performers, but the movie is definitely going forward, with principal photography set to begin on January 22, 2024, and a release date now set for April 18, 2025 (via Lionsgate and Universal). The movie’s synopsis reads as follows:

Michael will bring audiences a riveting and honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated man who became the King of Pop. The film presents his triumphs and tragedies on an epic, cinematic scale — from his human side and personal struggles to his undeniable creative genius, exemplified by his most iconic performances. As never before, audiences will experience an inside look into one of the most influential, trailblazing artists the world has ever known.

How Honest Will Antoine Fuqua’s Biopic Be About Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson performing

Jackson’s accomplishments in the world of entertainment make him fully worthy of a musical biopic, and his life story was filled with more than enough drama to make for a compelling film. Unfortunately, the nature of the allegations against Jackson mean that Fuqua’s biopic is bound to be exceedingly controversial. Indeed, the film has already been condemned by the maker of Leaving Neverland, the riveting HBO documentary centering on a pair of men who accused Jackson of sexual abuse.

Given the controversial nature of Jackson’s life, it’s fair to wonder how honest Fuqua’s biopic will really be. Fuqua himself has said that he means to show all sides of the Jackson story, telling Good Morning America in 2023:

He was a great artist. He was human. We’re gonna show the good, bad, and the ugly. We're just going to tell Michael based on the facts that I have. Me and Graham King, the producer of Bohemian Rhapsody, we're going to tell the facts that we have, and it's for the audience to make a decision on how they feel about Michael, but we're going to tell the facts as we know it.

While Fuqua promises a warts-and-all portrait of Jackson, it’s worth noting that the Jackson family has strong ties to the film. Not only is Jackson’s own nephew Jaafar Jackson playing the lead role, but the film is co-produced by the executors of Jackson’s estate. It remains to be seen how much freedom Fuqua has in telling the truth about Jackson, but it’s hard to imagine a biopic of the singer that will delve deep into his dark side.

Michael was penned by John Logan, the Oscar-nominated writer of Hugo, Gladiator and The Aviator.

If the film goes too dark, it risks alienating the Jackson fans who are presumably its intended audience. But if it soft-pedals the truth, it risks being accused of trying to whitewash Jackson’s reputation. Fuqua has his job cut out for him as Michael prepares to go before cameras, with a release date more than a year away.

Source: Lionsgate, Universal