The first glimpse of Michael, the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, has already rewritten the record books.
The trailer, which debuted last week, pulled in more than 116.2 million views worldwide in its first 24 hours, according to data from WaveMetrix. That figure not only makes it the most-watched music biopic trailer ever but also the most-viewed trailer in Lionsgate history.
The film stars Jaafar Jackson, the late pop icon’s nephew, in the lead role. Colman Domingo, fresh off an Oscar nomination, portrays the Jackson family patriarch, Joe Jackson.
Set to premiere on April 24, 2025, Michael aims to chronicle the highs and lows of the King of Pop’s life and career. The cast also includes Miles Teller as attorney John Branca, Kat Graham as Diana Ross, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, Laura Harrier as Suzanne de Passe, Kendrick Sampson as Quincy Jones and Juliano Krue Valdi playing a young Michael.
Speculation about the film being split into two parts resurfaced this week, though no official confirmation has been made. During a quarterly earnings call, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson addressed the chatter.
“While we’re not yet ready to confirm plans for a second film, I can tell you that the creative team is hard at work making sure that we’re in a position to deliver more Michael soon after we release the first film,” Fogelson said.
The record-breaking trailer was released on November 8.