Cliff Notes – Michael Jackson biopic’s exhausting runtime confirmed in major update
- The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, directed by Antoine Fuqua, will have a runtime of approximately three-and-a-half hours, with a release now expected after April 1, 2026.
- Jaafar Jackson will portray his uncle, with a substantial budget of $155 million, and there is speculation about the film potentially being split into multiple parts due to extensive footage.
- Lionsgate executives have indicated that the film aims to provide a comprehensive portrayal of Jackson’s life, balancing his artistic genius with personal struggles.
Michael Jackson biopic’s exhausting runtime confirmed in major update
Michael Jackson’s biopic is going to have an exhausting runtime (Picture: Redferns)
Movie bosses have shared a huge update on the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, revealing that we will be waiting for the release a little longer.
The hugely-anticipated film was first announced in 2023, and will focus on the King of Pop’s rollercoaster career in the spotlight before his death in 2009, at the age of 50.
His nephew, Jaafar Jackson, will make his screen debut as the Thriller singer alongside Colman Domingo, Katherine Jackson, Kat Graham and Miles Teller, while Antoine Fuqua signed up to direct.
While some got a glimpse at footage from Michael last year at CinemaCon, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer has now revealed that the anticipated release date has been pushed back.
In the Q4 2025 earnings call, via Variety, he also confirmed that it will have a run-time of around three-and-a-half hours in total.
‘In regard to our Michael Jackson biopic, we’re excited about the three-and-a-half hours of amazing footage from producer Graham King and director Antoine Fuqua, and we will be announcing a definitive release strategy and timing in the next few weeks,’ the outlet reports he said.
Michael’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, was cast in the lead role (Picture: Universal)
The King of Pop died in 2009 at the age of 50 (Picture: WireImage)
‘I would note that it is likely we will move Michael out of the fiscal year which will impact fiscal 2026 financial results but will bolster an already strong fiscal 2027 slate.’
The fiscal year ends in March 2026, so the film is now set to premiere at some point after April 1, 2026.
Michael was originally slated to be released last month, but reshoots were still taking place in March, meaning the date was then shuffled to October.
The project reportedly has an eyewatering budget of $155million, with speculation that it could be split into multiple parts due to the extensive footage.
There is said to be hours of footage (Picture: Backgrid)
According to Deadline, Lionsgate film chief Adam Fogelson touched on the speculation of a two-part biopic on the call, promising that more information will be available soon.
‘At the end, when you look at the music library, when you look at what Michael Jackson was able to deliver in terms of music and contributions to art, whether or not that can be fit into one movie comfortably or not is a question that we are absolutely asking,’ he continued.
‘We’ll be ready to answer more specifically in the coming weeks.
Addressing the huge runtime, he added: ‘Any number of the biggest motion pictures over the last ten or 20 years have had first cuts of movies that were well in excess three and a half hours.
The project has been pushed back to next year(Picture: AP)
‘And when Jon mentioned the footage, it wasn’t a cut, it was an accumulation of scenes that we’ve seen.’
The movie, when we eventually get our hands on it, will offer fans a ‘riveting and honest portrayal of the brilliant man who became the King of Pop.
‘The film presents his triumphs and tragedies on an epic, cinematic scale – from his human side and personal struggles to his undeniable creative genius, exemplified by his most iconic performances.’