‘Michael’ Revives the King of Pop on the Big Screen, Starring Nephew Jaafar Jackson, Out May 13

A sweeping biopic of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, is set to moonwalk into theaters worldwide on May 13 under the title “Michael.”

The film threads together Jackson’s era-defining hits with re-created, signature performances designed for the big screen. In the title role, rising musician Jaafar Jackson―Michael’s nephew―steps in with a striking family resemblance and presence that anchors the transformation.

Antoine Fuqua―known for The Magnificent Seven, Training Day, and TV’s The Equalizer―directs from a script by John Logan (Gladiator, The Last Samurai, the James Bond franchise, and Alien: Covenant).

Following a teaser that sparked a sensation in November 2025, racking up 116.2 million views in 24 hours, the film has unveiled its second poster and trailer. The new poster spotlights Jaafar Jackson channeling Michael’s electric stage energy mid-performance, capturing that goosebump-inducing rush of a live show.

The latest trailer opens with a jolt of pure showmanship―Michael commanding the stage―before tracing his meteoric rise from a prodigy in the Jackson 5 to a global icon, teasing a coming-of-age arc built on genius, grit, and reinvention.

Ahead of release, “Michael” will host a global premiere in Berlin on April 10 (local time), with the film’s key players set to attend and special fan events planned throughout the festivities.

The film opens May 13 in Korea. 

(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)