Much like the life of the King of Pop, the long-awaited Michael Jackson biopic has been nothing short of turbulent. Anti-Jackson protesters call the script a “whitewash”. Extensive reshoots happened due to legal oversights and Jackson’s daughter Paris claims the project is “filled with inaccuracies”.
The wait is over. This past Thursday, the studio finally unveiled the highly anticipated Michael trailer from director Antoine Fuqua. As a longtime Jackson fan myself, the images of the late pop star’s nephew Jaafar Jackson embodying his uncle give me goosebumps. The same is true for Kendrick Sampson’s dead-on depiction of superproducer Quincy Jones. The familiar images of Jackson’s Motown 25 performance of “Billie Jean” and the “Thriller” music video are enough to evoke powerful memories that shaped my life. Certainly, Jackson fans worldwide feel the same.
In the time since the Michael trailer’s release, it has amassed 116.2 million views globally (per The Hollywood Reporter). It has surpassed John Wick: Chapter 4’s first trailer as Lionsgate’s biggest trailer debut ever. The studio’s chairman, Adam Fogelson, told Deadline that the fan anticipation is real based on these impressive numbers.
“People have been waiting a long time for this. I think people are stunned with Jaafar’s (Jackson’s) performance.”
Michael will follow the King of Pop from his formative years with the Jackson 5 to his rise to the top of the music world by the 1980s. Initially planned to extend into Jackson’s darker days in the ‘90s, the film had to undergo reshoots after the Jackson estate made a legal mistake in dramatizing the 1993 child molestation allegations. Part of Jackson’s settlement required no depiction of the accuser. While a Michael sequel is not confirmed, Fogelson says it’s on the table.
“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. 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.”
Also Check Out: The Simpsons Have Removed Every Trace Of The Episode Featuring Michael Jackson From Circulation
Michael co-stars Miles Teller, Colman Domingo, Kat Graham, Nia Long, Laura Harrier, and Juliano Krue Valdi. Fuqua directs from a screenplay by John Logan. Graham King of Bohemian Rhapsody serves as producer.
What did you think of the Michael trailer? Let us know in the comments.
FOR FANBOYS, BY FANBOYS
Have you checked out LRM Online’s official podcasts and videos on The Genreverse Podcast Network? Available on YouTube and all your favorite podcast apps, This multimedia empire includes The Daily CoG, Breaking Geek Radio: The Podcast, GeekScholars Movie News, Anime-Versal Review Podcast, and our Star Wars dedicated podcast The Cantina. Check it out by listening on all your favorite podcast apps, or watching on YouTube!
Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | SoundCloud | Stitcher | Google Play
