The Antoine Fuqua-directed biopic closes out Lionsgate's panel at the Las Vegas convention with a surprise look at the upcoming movie about the late King of Pop.
- Apr 11, 2024
AceShowbiz - Lionsgate brought the first footage of "Michael" to CinemaCon. Closing out its panel on Wednesday, April 11, the studio debuted a trailer for the Michael Jackson biopic at the convention, which has been taking place in Las Vegas.
The trailer begins with a look at The Jackson 5 performing "ABC" on TV and then cuts to a 1990s-era concert of Michael, portrayed by his nephew Jaafar Jackson, where he performs "Man in the Mirror". "Michael, you have a very special light. So let your light shine unto the world," MJ's mom Katherine (Nia Long) says in voiceover.
There are also images of a masked Michael being hounded by fans and paparazzi. Jaafar perfectly emulates the late King of Pop as he has a strong resemblance to his uncle and appears to have captured his dancing and stage presence.
During the presentation, producer Graham King ("Bohemian Rhapsody") promised the biopic would cover Michael's musical successes and his controversies. "There are biopics, and then there is Michael," said Graham, who called MJ "an enigma full of eccentricities."
He said the movie has more than 30 songs and teased it would be "long" in order to do the music star's story justice. "Behind the unrelenting scrutiny and the accusations and the blinding media spotlight, he was simply a man. A man who lived a very complicated life. The movie will get into all of it," King said, alluding to the multiple scandals Michael faced.
Michael "was a simple man who lived a complicated life," King added. "When you mention his name, everyone has an opinion of him." And so far, putting his life onscreen has been "a daunting task to say the least."
"Michael", directed by Antoine Fuqua, is set for April 18, 2025 release in the U.S. The cast also includes Colman Domingo, Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Katerina Graham and many others.
