If you’ve followed our coverage concerning the Michael Jackson biopic, this latest update shouldn’t come as much of a shock.
People hoping to see “Michael” anytime soon might want to grab a seat—and a calendar. According to Lionsgate’s Q4 earnings call, Antoine Fuqua’s long-gestating biopic starring Jaafar Jackson won’t be moonwalking into theaters until after April 2026.
Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer assured investors that there’s “3½ hours of amazing footage” from Fuqua just waiting to be shaped into something watchable. In fact, so much footage that the film is probably going to be split into two parts. Because if there’s anything audiences love more than biopics, it’s multi-part biopics.
The third act of the Michael Jackson biopic has been completely scrapped and will have to be reshot due to some major legal issues. In April, Fuqua, and screenwriter John Logan had been attempting rewrites. They settled on a new draft of the script, submitted it to Lionsgate, but apparently now more rewrites are in store.
Meanwhile, not a single frame was shown at this year’s CinemaCon—an odd choice for a project with a $155M budget and a press rollout that started over a year ago. Principal photography wrapped way back in May 2024, but Logan’s script is getting touched up again, with reshoots now looming.
The cast is stacked, at least. Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, Larenz Tate, and Laura Harrier. There’s also actors playing Diana Ross, La Toya, Quincy Jones, Dick Clark, Gladys Knight, and Bill Bray all in the mix—so yes, it’s a full-blown Jackson universe.
Whether all that turns into something coherent remains to be seen. For now, Lionsgate is taking its time, massaging the narrative, and bracing for a fiscal impact in 2026 with hopes of a strong rebound in 2027. You know, the usual studio song and dance.
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