Photo Credit: Lionsgate
The Michael Jackson biopic ‘Michael’ directed by Antoine Fuqua is nearly four hours long. Hollywood scuttlebutt suggests distributor Lionsgate may cut the biopic in half, making it a two-parter. It’s an option being considered—but is not set in stone yet.
The biopic was originally scheduled to be released on April 18, 2025, but the release date was pushed back to October 3, 2025. That date may not be firm either, as the task of splitting the film into a two-parter may delay the film into 2026. The final decision about whether that will happen is pending approvals from distributors Lionsgate in the US and Universal Pictures International.
Lionsgate did not showcase any footage of the biopic during its CinemaCon 2025 presentation, despite featuring heavily at the 2024 event. Instead, the studio only briefly acknowledged the biopic, sharing that updates about its release schedule would be released in the following weeks. This lack of updates has fueled speculation about potential delays and restructuring the nearly four-hour cut into two separate films.
Meanwhile, Deadline reports that delays could also result from legal and contractural issues related to Jackson’s molestation allegations. The allegations from the family of Jordan Chandler were not supposed to be included in the film according to the Jackson Estate. However, the allegations due appear and Deadline says this has resulted in “fierce internal dispute and extensive reshoots.” Michael Jackson paid the family $20 million in 1994 to drop the allegations with no admission of guilt.
The ‘Michael’ biopic is directed by Antoine Fuqua, known for his work on ‘The Equalizer’ trilogy and ‘Emancipation.’ The film is produced by Graham King, who previously worked on ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ alongside co-producers John Branca and John McClain—the co-executors of Michael Jackson’s estate. The screenplay for the film was written by John Logan. Michael Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson stars in the titular role—bringing his uncle, the King of Pop to life. The film covers Jackson’s life from his early days with the Jackson 5 in Gary, Indiana to his mega-popstar years.
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