Jaafar Jackson had zero movie credits when he got this job. His first role ended up being his own uncle, who happens to be one of the most famous entertainers who ever lived.
He’s the son of Jermaine Jackson, one of the brothers who sang next to Michael in the Jackson 5. Before this he’d put out a couple of singles and shown up on a family reality show, and that was about it.
Then he got cast in “Michael,” the big-screen life story of the King of Pop.
Finding the right lead reportedly took about two years. Antoine Fuqua, who directed “Training Day,” needed somebody who could move like Michael and also carry a whole film on his shoulders. They ended up finding him inside the Jackson family.
Michael’s mother, Katherine Jackson, gave the pick her blessing. According to reports, she said her grandson “embodies” her son.
When the first teaser came out, a lot of fans had to watch it twice.
Michael (2026) Official Teaser – Jaafar Jackson
The story starts with Michael as a little kid singing with his brothers in the 1960s and runs all the way up to 1988, when he’s playing a packed stadium in London on his Bad World Tour. Colman Domingo is Joe, his strict father, and Nia Long plays his mother, Katherine. Miles Teller shows up as John Branca, the lawyer who helped Michael run his business.
U.S. theaters got it on April 24, 2026.
Plenty of reviewers felt it went too easy on the hard parts of his life, and its Rotten Tomatoes score from critics was poor.
Regular moviegoers didn’t seem to care much. They kept buying tickets week after week.
“Michael” went on to earn more than $1 billion around the world, more than any biopic has ever made. That’s a pretty wild run for a young guy who’d never been in a movie before.
And if you skipped it in theaters, you’ve got options now.
Starz picked it up first in the U.S., where it started streaming on August 10. Over in the Philippines, local outlets say it landed on HBO Max on September 25. Anyone who just wants to see that moonwalk one more time can do it from the couch.
Lots of grandparents who grew up with the Jackson 5 on TV will probably end up watching it with grandkids who only know the songs from playlists.
The movie builds toward one giant night onstage, and the full trailer gives you a small taste of it.
Michael (2026) Official Trailer – Jaafar Jackson
That London show isn’t where the story stops, either. Lionsgate, the studio behind the film, has confirmed a second movie is in the works, and Jaafar has already talked about where it’ll go next.
The first film even ends with a hint. The last words on screen are “His story continues.”