Billboard Women in Music 2025
EXCLUSIVE: Sources are telling us that Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, from Lionsgate, with a near four-hour cut, could be split into two movies. That’s an option on the table, and not a definite at this time. When you think of Jackson’s life from Gary, Indiana, to the Jackson 5, to Off the Wall, to Thriller, to his undoing — it’s an epic story worthy of a two parts ala Wicked.
Will the Graham King production make its October 3 release date? Most likely not. But realize there’s a lot of sign-offs here with Universal handling overseas and Japan sold separately. A key factor for a concert-like movie of this stature is access to Imax screens. Graham King’s Bohemian Rhapsody, which was also about another controversial pop star in Queen’s Freddie Mercury, overcame all obstacles and opened to $51M stateside and crooned to north of $216M U.S./Canada and $910.8M WW with four Oscar wins.
Will the movie definitely go to 2026 like InSneider said this AM? Maybe, but nothing is definite or gospel yet. There’s a slight chance that Michael could still boogie down the road toward the end of this year for awards season; that isn’t out of the question. Yes, Lionsgate has Paul Feig’s stunning Sydney Sweeney-Amanda Seyfried thriller The Housemaid on Christmas Day (which wowed CinemaCon yesterday with its first trailer), but exhibition is always open to more films. By the way, at a time when we need great movies, Lionsgate had a stunning presentation yesterday with its kickass Ballerina footage showing Keanu Reeves vs. Ana de Armas, as well as performance by the Weeknd, and Jenna Ortega doing a deadpan onstage routine in the promotion of Hurry Up Tomorrow.
Lionsgate didn’t show footage for Michael yesterday since all these decisions are up in the air for the film which stars Jackson’s nephew and Jermaine Jackson’s son Jaafar in the title role. Coleman Dominigo is Joe Jackson and Nia Long is Katherine Jackson. More on the cast here for the John Logan-penned movie.
