In its first six hours after dropping today, the first teaser for *Michael* from Lionsgate racked up over 30 million views—50% more than what *John Wick: Chapter 4* delivered in the same timeframe. This exciting news was shared by Lionsgate Motion Picture Chair Adam Fogelson during this afternoon’s earnings call.
The *Michael Jackson* biopic, directed by Antoine Fuqua and produced by *Bohemian Rhapsody*’s Graham King, is a highly anticipated tentpole for the Santa Monica-based studio. The film is scheduled for a theatrical release on April 24, 2026.
During the call, Lionsgate’s C-suite was also asked by an analyst for an update on whether the second half of *Michael* is still in the works. Originally, Lionsgate had to split *Michael* into two parts—not only due to the original cut’s length of three and a half hours but also because some footage focused on one of Jackson’s accusers. Due to a settlement with the singer’s estate, those individuals are guaranteed never to be dramatized. Interestingly, this detail was overlooked by the Jackson estate when putting *Michael* into development.
Addressing the possibility of a second half, Fogelson said, “Since the last time we worked together on an earnings call, we’ve had the great pleasure of seeing the director’s cut of the first film, and it is exceptional.” He continued, “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.”
“People have been waiting a long time for this,” Fogelson added about *Michael*. “I think people are stunned with Jaafar’s (Jackson’s) performance.”
Stay tuned for more updates on this highly anticipated biopic as it progresses toward its 2026 release.
https://deadline.com/2025/11/michael-jackson-movie-sequel-trailer-traffic-1236609897/
