Michael, the biopic on Michael Jackson's life, held its first premiere in the U.S. on Monday night, April 20, 2026, sending social media into a frenzy.
The King of Pop is making a comeback this April 24 as the Michael Jackson biopic Michael is set to release in theaters worldwide on April 24.
The film, directed by American film director Antoine Fuqua, had already premiered in Berlin on April 10, 2026, but social media reaction was limited.
The storyline centers around the life of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, from his early Motown days performing alongside his brothers in the musical band Jackson 5 to his stardom as a solo artist.
However, it is yet to be seen how far the director’s cut has included some of the most controversial aspects of Jackson’s singular life.
Jaafar Jackson (Jaackson’s nephew and son of Jermaine Jackson) steps into his uncle’s shoes as Michael .
He portrays Michael during his journey from child star to becoming the king of pop music.
The young Muchael is played by Juliano Krue Valdi.
Let’s find out what’s buzzing on social media.
One user wrote after watching the premiere in LA on his X (formerly Twitter), “Jaafar Jackson is tremendous in Michael, truly making you forget he isn’t the real thing.”
The other commented the opposite and commented, “I usually enjoy a good music biopic but Michael is so boring and one-note, maybe because we already know MJ’s story and this is pretty much the Colman Domingo show…for the diehard fans only.”
The third user jumped in, appearing to be undecided about giving the verdict, and wrote, “Just saw the Michael movie. Tough.”
The cast also features Colman Domingo as Michael’s father Joe Jackson, Nia Long as Michael’s mother Katherine Jackson, and Miles Teller as John Branca, a showbiz attorney and manager.
Lauren Farrier appears as Suzanne de Passe, the music executive; Kendrick Sampson takes on the role of iconic producer Quincy Jones; Larenz Tate brings to life the all-powerful Motown chief Berry Gordy; Liv Symone steps into the shoes of singer Gladys knight; and Kevin Shinick plays TV legend Dick Clark.
