The release date of the biopic Michael Jackson film titled Michael has been postponed. Originally, the movie directed by Antoine Fuqua and produced by Graham King was slated for release on October 3, 2025, but has now been rescheduled for 2026.
This delay was announced by Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer. 'It is likely that we are moving Michael out of this fiscal year, which will impact the fiscal 2026 financials. However, it will strengthen the already strong fiscal 2027 slate,' said Feltheimer, as quoted from the Antara report on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
The fiscal calendar ends on March 31, 2026; Feltheimer's statement suggests that the biopic film may be released after April 1, 2026.
Schedule Changes
Lionsgate Film Chairman Adam Fogelson confirmed that they are considering the option of splitting the film into two parts. 'When you look at Michael Jackson's music collection and artistic contribution, the question is whether everything can be comfortably put into one film or not. This is a question that we are seriously asking. We will be ready to provide a more specific answer in the coming weeks,' he said, as quoted by Deadline.
In addition to the lengthy duration, there are several other factors affecting the delayed release of the film. One of them is the legal constraints regarding the narrative of the sexual abuse allegations against Michael Jackson in the early 1990s by the Jordan Chandler family. Although the case was settled through a $20 million compensation payment in 1994 without an admission of guilt, the Jackson family refuses to depict that part in the film.
As reported by NME in January, the production of Michael had to reshoot the entire third act. This section was previously reported to contain sensitive scenes related to the abuse allegations prohibited from dramatization by the Jackson family. The film also garnered criticism from Dan Reed, the director of the documentary Leaving Neverland, which documented similar accusations against Michael Jackson.
The film Michael is one of the ambitious projects that will depict the life journey of Michael Jackson. The story will cover his childhood in Gary, Indiana with the Jackson 5 to his phenomenal success through the albums Off the Wall and Thriller, as well as the darker aspects of his career.
Editor's Choice: Tito Jackson, Michael Jackson's Brother and Founding Member of the Jackson 5, Passes Away at 70
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