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oin director Antoine Fuqua, producer Graham King, and star Jaafar Jackson (who plays Michael Jackson) for a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming movie, Michael. Michael also stars Nia Long, with Miles Teller and Colman Domingo.

Michael is the cinematic portrayal of the life and legacy of one of the most influential artists the world has ever known. The film tells the story of Michael Jackson’s life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world. Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. This is where his story begins.

Michael is written by John Logan. It is produced by Graham King, John Branca, and John McClain.

Michael opens in theaters on April 24, 2026.
Transcript
00:00Michael, his life is epic, and to become the king of pop, it's an amazing journey.
00:08The challenge of taking on someone like Michael Jackson, it sounded fun, but then the more real
00:15it got, the more pressure I felt. Going through this process of who can play Michael, how do you
00:22even start with that? And then, of course, I meet Jafar Jackson.
00:25I always tell everybody, how we start is how we finish. So let's start with some fire.
00:32Day one, all I could think of was Ken Jafar really pulled us off. Man, when the music
00:41started and he hit those first few moves, I mean, this guy killed it. I looked at Graham,
00:48and Graham looked at me, I was like, who is this guy?
00:51I never dreamed to be an actor or even thought of playing him, but I knew it was a calling.
01:02Embodied Michael, I really had to earn the role and prove to the filmmakers that I was capable
01:08of becoming Michael. Essentially, it was starting at the roots and finding that authenticity.
01:15He took it to a level that none of us thought he could take it to.
01:19That's part of the magic of Jafar. He has the desire, like Michael, to be the best.
01:25Oh!
01:26Cut.
01:27Level one, let's go.
01:28That's it. That's amazing.
01:32I felt that love for Michael every day on set, from the crew and the cast. Everybody had
01:37that love and wanted to put all their heart and soul into it. I believe in music. We can change
01:42the world. With Jafar, you can see how much he cares. That's what makes him so special.
01:47Whatever that spirit of Michael he's bringing is present, and everyone on the team can feel
01:52it.
01:53None of us would be here today if it wasn't from Jafar.
01:55That's the rules.
02:09Let's do what makes him so special.
02:12Everybody has added a effort.
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