Fans may have to wait a little bit longer to watch the highly-anticipated Michael Jackson biopic, Michael.
During a recent call with key stakeholders, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer revealed the biopic may be pushed back to 2026.
“In regard to our Michael Jackson biopic, we’re excited about the 3½ hours of amazing footage from producer Graham King and director Antoine Fuqua, and we will be announcing a definitive release strategy & timing in the next few weeks,” Feltheimer said. “I would note that it is likely we will move ‘Michael’ out of the fiscal year which will impact fiscal ’26 financial results but will bolster an already strong fiscal ’27 slate.”
This is not the first time that Michael has been delayed. Previously, the film was slated to be released on April 18, 2025, but Lionsgate eventually pushed it back to its current release date, October 3, 2025. As recently as April, multiple outlets indicated that the film’s release would be delayed yet again and potentially split into two parts after reports suggested the first cut is approximately four hours.
Despite multiple delays, Lionsgate is still high on the Antoine Fuqua-directed picture’s potential. Rebecca Rubin and Brent Lang of Variety wrote that first-look footage shown at CinemaCon in 2024 electrified audiences, while /Film’s BJ Colangelo wrote, “/Film’s Ryan Scott is on the ground at CinemaCon 2024 where Lionsgate gave fans a first look at the film. The results are apparently so accurate it’s scary.”
Nia Long, Colman Domingo, Laura Harrier, Miles Teller, Larenz Tate, Kat Graham, and Liv Symone have joined the cast with Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar, playing the lead role. Additional photography is set to take place in June and early reports suggest the film could find its way into theaters in spring or summer of 2026.
