Lionsgate has released another official trailer for the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, that introduces his family roots and parents.
“In this life, you’re either a winner or you’re a loser,” Joe Jackson, played by Colman Domingo, tells his young family with a call to action as both father and manager to what eventually would become the Jackson Five music group, anchored by Michael Jackson.
“I knew you were different the moment you were born. You have a special light,” Nia Long, who plays Michael Jackson’s mother Katherine in the biopic, says at another point in the trailer (below).
The teaser shows Jaafar Jackson, the nephew of Michael Jackson, marking his feature debut in the lead role as the pop icon who would go onto a solo career that made him the most popular artist in music thanks to the success of his Thriller album.
The latest trailer release follows Lionsgate on Sunday evening buying a TV commercial during the Grammy Awards to flag the Monday morning trailer launch for the film. In early November, the studio released a teaser trailer on social media that also played in theaters just before Now You See Me: Now You Don’t screenings.
The teaser within 24 hours racked up to 116.2 million views globally, making it the most-viewed trailer for any music biopic in history and for Lionsgate became its largest trailer debut ever. Jaafar Jackson in the first trailer was seen recreating the musician’s iconic dance moves, such as the moonwalk.
Director Antoine Fuqua‘s biopic is set to hit theaters and Imax on April 24, after its release was delayed several times, most recently having been dated for the fall of 2025.
Additional castmembers include Miles Teller as attorney John Branca, Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, Kat Graham as Diana Ross, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, Laura Harrier as Suzanne de Passe, Kendrick Sampson as Quincy Jones and Juliano Krue Valdi as a young Michael.
Lionsgate is distributing the movie domestically, while Universal handles the global launch.
