The world’s been waiting for Michael, and the numbers prove it.
The first teaser for Lionsgate’s upcoming biopic on the King of Pop exploded online — hitting 30 million views in just six hours and soaring past 203 million in 24 hours across platforms. That makes it one of the top 10 most-viewed trailers of all time.
X: ~50.08M | Instagram: ~62.02M | TikTok: ~30.3M | Facebook: ~52.6M | YouTube: ~8M
According to Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chair Adam Fogelson, the teaser outperformed John Wick: Chapter 4’s debut by 50% in the same timeframe — not bad for a first look at a film still six months out.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua and produced by Graham King (Bohemian Rhapsody), Michael follows Michael Jackson’s rise from child prodigy to global phenomenon — a story of talent, ambition, and the price of greatness. Written by John Logan, the film aims to capture the artist and the man behind the myth — his creativity, his contradictions, and his unmatched influence on pop culture.
Leading the film is Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s real-life nephew, in what’s already being called an uncanny performance. He’s joined by Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, Larenz Tate, Laura Harrier, Kat Graham, Jessica Sula, Liv Symone, Kendrick Sampson, KeiLyn Durrel Jones and more.
READ: Meet the Full Cast of the Michael Jackson Biopic, ‘Michael’…So Far
As we previously reported, Michael was originally one massive cut running close to four hours. Lionsgate later toyed with splitting it into two parts to do Jackson’s life justice — but that plan hit complications.
A legal agreement involving the Jackson estate reportedly prevents any dramatization of one of Jackson’s accusers, forcing major rewrites and reshoots after production wrapped. That meant portions of Jackson’s later King of Pop and Neverland years had to be cut.
Now, the first film will center on Jackson’s rise through the 1980s, with the door still open for a second chapter depending on how audiences respond. Fogelson called the director’s cut “exceptional” and said the creative team is “in a position to deliver more Michael soon after release.”
With over 200 million views in a single day, Michael has already proven it’s more than a movie — it’s a global event. The response shows the world’s still deeply invested in Jackson’s legacy, and with Jaafar Jackson stepping into those iconic shoes, the anticipation is sky-high.
This isn’t just another biopic.
It’s a cinematic moment — one celebrating genius, family, and legacy.
And if the teaser is any indication, Michael is already making history all over again.