‘Michael’ Director Antoine Fuqua: Making Michael Jackson Biopic Was “Spiritual Journey”

Filmmaker Antoine Fuqua is sharing his perspective about Lionsgate’s forthcoming Michael Jackson biopic.

Michael is set to hit theaters and Imax on April 24 after its release was delayed several times, most recently having been dated for the fall of 2025. Marking his feature debut is Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in the lead role as the pop music icon. Lionsgate is distributing the movie domestically, while Universal handles the global launch.

“It’s a very spiritual journey, making a movie about someone like Michael,” Fuqua says in a video that Lionsgate released Monday. “Michael was a big influence on my career as a director, seeing how he refused to get put in a box as just a Black artist only.”

Fuqua’s movie debuted its latest trailer earlier this month. Michael co-stars Colman Domingo as the singer’s father, Joe Jackson, and Nia Long as his mother, Katherine. Rounding out the cast are Miles Teller,…