In its first six hours after dropping today, the first teaser for Michael from Lionsgate racked up over 30 million views, 50% more than what John Wick: Chapter 4 delivered in its first six hours.
The news comes from Lionsgate Motion Picture Chair Adam Fogelson on this afternoon’s earnings call.
The Michael Jackson biopic from director Antoine Fuqua and Bohemian Rhapsody producer Graham King is a highly anticipated tentpole for the Santa Monica, CA studio, scheduled for an April 24, 2026 theatrical release.
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Lionsgate’s C-suite was also asked by an analyst to provide an update on whether the second half of Michael was still in the works.
Lionsgate had to break up Michael into two parts, not only because of the original cut’s 3 1/2 hour length, but also because footage was shot centering around one of Jackson’s accusers; their settlement with the singer’s estate guaranteed they’d never be dramatized. The Jackson estate overlooked this detail when putting Michael into development.
Addressing the optionality for a second half of Michael, Fogelson replied, “Since the last time we worked together on an earnings call, we’ve had the great pleasure of seeing the director’s cut of the first film, and it is exceptional.”
He continued, “While we’re not yet ready to confirm plans for a second film, I can tell you that the creative team is hard at work making sure that we’re in a position to deliver more Michael soon after we release the first film.”
“People have been waiting a long time for this,” said Fogelson about Michael, “I think people are stunned with Jaafar’s (Jackson’s) performance.”
