Michael Jackson Biopic "Michael" Pushed Back Six Months, Set to Face Disney's "Tron: Ares"

The highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic, "Michael," directed by Antoine Fuqua of "The Equalizer" fame, will star Michael Jackson's nephew, Jaafar Jackson. Originally slated for an April 2025 release, the film had yet to kick off its promotional campaign. Now, Lionsgate has officially announced a six-month delay, pushing the release to October 3, 2025.

This new date will see "Michael" opening against Channing Tatum's crime film "Roofman" and, a week later, Disney's sci-fi sequel "Tron: Ares," starring Jared Leto.

In other Lionsgate news, the studio also confirmed that the comedy film "Good Fortune" is set to hit theaters on October 17, 2025. The movie is written, directed, and stars comedian Aziz Ansari, alongside Seth Rogen, Keanu Reeves, Keke Palmer, and Sandra Oh.

This past July at SDCC, Fuqua confirmed that "Michael" was in the editing phase. He expressed his personal connection to the project, stating that his reason for making the film was "for Michael."

"Michael was a big part of my life growing up, a big influence on my career, an incredible artist, but he was a human being and we're exploring that. I'm very excited about it," Fuqua shared.

Earlier, at CinemaCon in April, footage from "Michael" was screened. The film is reportedly set to feature 30 songs and will have a lengthy runtime to fully encompass Jackson's life story.

via： THR