Michael Jackson biopic is releasing sooner than you think and here's how you can watch it early
It looks like Michael Jackson will be moonwalking into cinemas a bit earlier than expected. Lionsgate made a major announcement about the biopic 'Michael' having limited early-access screenings in premium formats starting April 22, two days before the worldwide release.
The tickets for the one-night showings go live on Wednesday at 6 a.m. PT/9 a.m. ET onwards. Starring Jackson's nephew, Jaafar Jackson, as the 'King of Pop', the film is directed by Antoine Fuqua. It also stars Nia Long, Juliano Valdi, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Laura Harrier, Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo in major roles.
The official logline reads, "Michael tells the story of Michael Jackson’s life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson 5 to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world. Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. This is where his story begins."
The latest comes on the back of Paris Jackson's criticism of the film last year and Domingo's subsequent comments in a recent interview with WSJ. Jackson's daughter called out the 'Euphoria' star in an Instagram story. "I read one of the first drafts of the script and gave my notes about what was dishonest [and] didn't sit right with me, and when they didn't address it, I moved on with my life," Jackson wrote. "Not my monkeys, not my circus. God bless and godspeed," she wrote.
Domingo later said his take on Paris being 'very helpful' during the production was taken out of context. In the film, he plays Jackson's father, Joe.
However, that was not the only news that made the headlines. In fact, there was enough drama in the Jackson family when they attended the private screening of the biopic in Los Angeles. Page Six reported that a spat between Janet Jackson and Jermaine Jackson was seen during the screening. Per the outlet's sources at the screening, the youngest Jackson child reportedly criticized multiple aspects of the film. "She had something negative about almost every scene," said the news feature.
He continued, "The acting, the makeup, how the actors spoke, even how they walked. It was Janet deciding against the room that this movie wasn’t going to meet her approval." The sources added that Jermaine later confronted Janet and told her off. "You are going to miss this wave," Jermaine told his sister, according to one family insider who witnessed the exchange. "You are so jealous — just get on the wave."
Despite multiple rumors about the film's runtime, a recent report on AMC's website said the film will run an estimated 2 hours and 10 minutes. The film was originally planned to be released in two parts last year, with the second coming out in November. But with major reshoots to the third act, 'Michael' will now release as a single film, and the feature will reportedly end with his rise in the '80s.
