He moonwalked into our hearts decades ago and never truly left. Now, the most scrutinised, most awaited Michael Jackson biopic movie of all time has finally arrived — and the verdict is as complicated as the man himself.
Michael opens in cinemas worldwide on April 24, 2026, and is already on track to shatter box office records for a musical biopic. But the critical reception? That’s a different story entirely.
Table of Contents
Michael — Film at a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Film Title | Michael |
| Release Date | April 24, 2026 🎬 |
| Director | Antoine Fuqua |
| Lead Actor | Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson |
| Screenplay | John Logan (Oscar-nominated) |
| Key Cast | Colman Domingo (Joe Jackson), Nia Long (Katherine Jackson), Miles Teller (John Branca), Kendrick Sampson (Quincy Jones) |
| Budget | ~$200 million (post-reshoots) |
| Distributor | Lionsgate (US), Universal (international) |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 33% (critics) |
| Projected Opening Weekend | $150 million worldwide |
What Everyone Agrees On: Jaafar Jackson Is Extraordinary
In a film divided by critical opinion, one name keeps appearing in every review — Jaafar Jackson.
Michael’s own nephew takes on the role of the King of Pop, and the consensus is near-unanimous: he is the film’s beating heart and its greatest achievement. Audiences at the LA premiere say he captures everything — the voice, the movement, the electrifying stage presence, the quiet vulnerability — in a way that frequently makes you forget you are watching a performance at all.
At the premiere, Jaafar told the crowd with visible emotion: “Most importantly, I just hope that my uncle, Michael, is smiling from up above.”
The standing ovation that followed spoke for thousands.
What the Critics Are Saying
| Publication | Rating | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Variety | Mixed positive | Surprisingly effective middle-of-the-road biopic |
| The Guardian | ⭐⭐ / 5 | Shallow, clichéd — rammed with every music-movie trope |
| Empire | ⭐⭐ / 5 | A cosplay tribute with no artistic point-of-view |
| RogerEbert.com | ⭐ / 4 | A filmed playlist in search of a story |
| ScreenRant | 9 / 10 | One of the best musical biopics in recent memory |
The pattern is stark: critics are frustrated by what the film refuses to show. The Michael Jackson biopic movie stops its narrative in 1984, conveniently sidestepping the abuse allegations and the seismic controversies of Jackson’s later life. Critics point to the Jackson estate’s heavy involvement — an estate-approved production that, as Roger Ebert’s site noted, functions more as a curated greatest-hits celebration than a genuine biographical portrait.
The Bigger Question: Does It Matter?
This tension is not new. The biopics of Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse faced the same charge: sanitised by estate interests, glossy where they should be raw, celebratory where they should be brave.
And yet — audiences are flocking. Projections suggest Michael could set a new record for any musical biopic opening weekend, surpassing Bohemian Rhapsody and Straight Outta Compton. Fans who grew up moonwalking in their living rooms don’t necessarily need the film to challenge them. They want to feel the music again.
Perhaps that’s enough. Perhaps it isn’t. That tension is exactly the conversation worth having.
Final Verdict
The Michael Jackson biopic movie is two films in one: a technically dazzling, emotionally powerful concert experience elevated by an astonishing lead performance — and a biographical account with a carefully tailored blind spot.
Go for Jaafar. Stay for the music. Leave with questions. That’s Michael Jackson for you — even in 2026.
