Michael (2026)
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The film follows the early life of American singer Michael Jackson from his beginnings with the Jackson 5 to his rise as a solo superstar.
The story
In 1966, the steel worker Joseph Jackson assembles his sons into the musical band the Jackson 5, with Michael on lead vocals. After months of grueling rehearsals, the group is discovered in Chicago in 1968 and signed with Motown a year later. They become a huge success, allowing them to move into a mansion in California in 1971. Motown founder Berry Gordy believes Michael has more potential as a solo artist. In 1978, Michael signs with Epic Records for his first solo album as an adult, Off the Wall, while navigating the complexities of his father's control over his career and the pressures of his burgeoning fame.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows Michael Jackson's journey from the 1960s to the late 1980s. After signing with Epic Records in 1978, Michael faces his father's restrictions and undergoes a rhinoplasty. He eventually hires attorney John Branca to fire his father. The narrative follows his rise to superstardom, including the production of 'Thriller' and the 'Beat It' music video. A pivotal moment occurs when a pyrotechnic accident during a PepsiCo commercial causes severe burns to his hair. While recovering, he considers his future. He eventually performs with the Jacksons at the Victory Tour, where he declares it the last time they will perform together, severing ties with his father. The film concludes with Michael performing at the Bad World Tour in 1988, just before the first legal allegations against him arose.
- First release year
- 2026
- Runtime (minutes)
- 127
- Production countries
- United States; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Antoine Fuqua
- Writers
- John Logan · writer
- Cast and characters
- Jaafar Jackson · Michael Jackson; Juliano Valdi · young Michael; Colman Domingo · Joseph Jackson, Michael's father; Nia Long · Katherine Scruse-Jackson, Michael's mother; Miles Teller · John Branca, Michael's attorney
- Genres
- biographical; musical; drama
- Themes
- freedom; rebellion; creativity
- Tone and mood
- sanitized
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; musical
- Reception
- The film received generally negative reviews from critics, who praised Jaafar's performance but criticized the story as "sanitized". It was a major commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing biographical film and the highest-grossing Lionsgate film.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 4.9 · scale: 10 · review count: 307; PostTrak · score: 90% · scale: percent
- Production trivia
- The film grossed $1.029 billion worldwide.; A sequel is in development.; The production budget reached $155–200 million.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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