Michael

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1:00

Michael

PG-13

In Theaters Apr 24

2h 7m

Biography

Drama

Music

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Popcornmeter

38%

Tomatometer

135 Reviews

Popcornmeter

250+ Verified Ratings

MICHAEL is the cinematic portrayal of the life and legacy of one of the most influential artists the world has ever known. The film tells the story of Michael Jackson's life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world. Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. This is where his story begins.

Critics Consensus

While Jaafar Jackson's smooth moves bring the King of Pop to uncanny life, this musical biopic mostly plays like a "greatest hits" album that could've benefitted from including liner notes to give actual insight into the icon.

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Antoine Fuqua

Director

Jaafar Jackson

Michael Jackson

Miles Teller

John Branca

Colman Domingo

Joe Jackson

Nia Long

Katherine Jackson

Jayden Harville

Young Jermaine Jackson

Peter Howell

Toronto Star

14h

2/4

“Michael” occasionally dazzles -- the “Bad” tour finale is a genuine showstopper -- but it’s frustratingly incomplete, a film made for devoted fans and unquestioning apologists.

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Amy Nicholson

Los Angeles Times

17h

Suffocating nepotism might be the only way for now to capture someone as singularly strange as Jackson — if Jaafar delivered a line reading that wasn’t note perfect, it’s likely that someone in his clan would pipe up and say so.

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Johnny Oleksinski

New York Post

18h

1/4

What I did not expect of the movie about arguably the greatest entertainer of all time, however, was that it would be so devoid of, um, entertainment.

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Zach Pope

Zach Pope Reviews

1h

3/5

Lives & breathes on the back of Jaafar Jackson’s transformation into the iconic star Michael Jackson. It truly is astonishing how he completley embodied every piece of him… Michael has its issues (a lot of them) but it still a celebration of music

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Stephen Silver

The SS Ben Hecht

1h

Jaafar Jackson capably channels his uncle, but Antoine Fuqua’s estate-approved biopic doesn’t let us in on the King of Pop’s story.

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Jason Miller

Nerdspin

2h

B

Flawed, dazzling, and impossible to look away from — Michael is exactly the movie the estate wanted, and somehow still worth every minute.

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Michael First Reviews: Flashy and Nostalgic, but Safe and A Little Hollow

Antoine Fuqua Recreated the ‘Thriller’ Video in Its Original Location Under a Full Moon

Michael: Release Date, Cast, Trailer & More

Michael: Featurette - Before the Big Screen

1:47

Michael: Final Trailer

1:00

The Michael Cast Reveal Their Favorite Scenes

1:22

Colman Domingo on Playing Joe Jackson

1:06

Michael: Featurette – A Conversation with Jaafar Jackson

1:50

Jaafar on Getting the Role of Michael Jackson

1:09

Recreating the Thriller Music Video

1:02

Michael: Teaser - Early Access Event

1:15

Antoine Fuqua & the 'Michael' Cast on Familial Bonds and Capturing Michael Jackson's Essence on Film

16:57

Michael: Featurette - A Conversation with Director Antoine Fuqua

2:16

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Synopsis

MICHAEL is the cinematic portrayal of the life and legacy of one of the most influential artists the world has ever known. The film tells the story of Michael Jackson's life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world. Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. This is where his story begins.

Director: Antoine Fuqua
Producer: Graham King, John Branca, John McClain
Screenwriter: John Logan
Distributor: Lionsgate
Production Co: GK Films
Rating: PG-13 (Some Thematic Material|Smoking|Language)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 24, 2026, Wide
Runtime: 2h 7m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)