Michael Jackson Biopic Delayed to 2026, Release Date Pushed Back from October

The production of the Michael Jackson biopic has been fraught with challenges and has generated considerable media attention. Although the film was initially set to premiere on October 1st in France, Lionsgate has now announced a new release date: April 24, 2026, in the United States, with the French release scheduled for April 22, 2026.

This update, confirmed by Variety, dismisses earlier speculations that the biopic, directed by Antoine Fuqua, would be split into two parts. It will indeed be a single film.

Reshoots Required

Several months ago, the biopic was in the headlines for an unexpected reason: the entire ending needed to be reshot. The reason? The screenplay by John Logan focuses on the first allegations of child sexual abuse made against the artist in 1993.

The case was ultimately settled out of court with a $22 million agreement. Part of this settlement stipulated that the name of the alleged victim and their family must not be used or mentioned in any film or documentary.

A Staggering Budget

Although filming had wrapped up by May 2024, a significant portion of the crew had to return to shoot new scenes. Variety reports that the budget for the biopic now stands at $155 million. By comparison, the budget for the film “Bohemian Rhapsody” was estimated at $52 million.

Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s nephew and son of Jermaine Jackson, will portray the King of Pop. Coleman Domingo (Euphoria) will play Joe Jackson, the father, and Nia Long (Friday) will play the matriarch, Katherine Jackson. Miles Teller (Top Gun: Maverick) will take on the role of John Branca, Michael Jackson’s lawyer.

Michael, coming to theaters in April 2026 in France