Jafaar Jackson Wants To Be Startin’ Somethin’ in the Michael Jackson Biopic Trailer!

BY: MADELYN DIBIASE / STAFF WRITER

Jafaar Jackson stars as his uncle, Michael Jackson in the biopic about his life and career, set to premiere on April 24, 2026. (Photo: Lionsgate)

The highly anticipated trailer of ‘Michael’ was finally released on Nov. 6, 2025, by Lionsgate. The biopic telling the story of the legendary King of Pop, Michael Jackson, has been in production since development in 2019, with the official announcement being released in 2022. Official filming was delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strike in 2023, but commenced in 2022 and ended in 2024. 

It is pretty safe to say that fans have been waiting a long time for this biopic, eagerly awaiting Michael Jackson’s nephew, Jafaar Jackson’s, depiction of his beloved uncle. Some may argue that this is an example of nepotism at its finest, but Michael Jackson isn’t just any other movie role. Nobody else can just “be” or “act the part” of Michael, so it is only right that the role is played by a Jackson with that legendary DNA.

The trailer begins with Michael in the studio, beginning the recording of his record-breaking Thriller album in the early 1980s. Legendary producer Quincy Jones tells Michael, “I know you’ve been waiting a long time for this.” But, this can also be interpreted as Jones speaking to the viewers, as the anticipation and hype surrounding the biopic have been building over the last 3 years.

Highlighted are all of Michael Jackson’s iconic moments as a performer. From the moonwalk to the record-breaking Grammy night in 1984, to the toe stand, Jafaar’s portrayal of his uncle looks fascinatingly accurate. Well, to some, that is.

The discourse among the public surrounding Jafaar’s facial features compared to Michael’s has been quite mixed. There are some complaints about how, “That is not Michael Jackson.” In reality, how much can you really do? They can’t just bring him back to play himself in a biopic. If we are going to engage in that conversation, does Jeremy Allen White really look like Bruce Springsteen, or Timothée Chalamet like Bob Dylan? 

It is clear that to recreate his unique nose, production utilized CGI to get one of his most recognizable facial features accurate for Jafaar’s portrayal. It just feels like the anticipation of this movie, and the fact that his nephew is representing his illustrious life and career, is adding a lot of pressure to do justice with this film.

Michael Jackson’s music is celebrated throughout the trailer. There is a mash-up of songs off his Thriller album, symbolically kicking off with ‘Wanna be Startin’ Somethin’. 

The opening synths from ‘Beat It’ are heard immediately following. When the music starts to crescendo, a piano rendition of ‘Human Nature’ is featured, alluding to the more moving and sentimental aspects of not just the movie, but Michael’s life. 

The legendary catalog of Michael’s career doesn’t stop there! Michael sings one lyric from his Off the Wall album, which is “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.” The upbeat nature picks back up with the recognizable beat of ‘Billie Jean’, until the music peaks again, building up to the first reveal of Jafaar’s voice as ‘Michael’. It is astonishing how much he sounds just like his uncle.

“Q, can you lower the lights for me, please?” is the only line of speech we hear from Michael during the trailer. This leaves fans on the edge of their seat, wanting more, and highly awaiting the April 2026 release of the film. Quincy Jones responds with a cheeky remark about Michael needing to keep his feet still, hinting at the way he lets the music engulf him, not only on stage, but also in the studio.

This surpasses ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ for the largest trailer launch, but also makes it the most-viewed biopic trailer in history. Sorry, Swifties, but you can’t compete with the legend that is Michael Jackson. 

Personally, I am making a very early prediction: Jafaar Jackson will win an Academy Award for the portrayal of his uncle. Seeing the clear effort he put in, studying Michael’s most iconic moments, and the accurate voice, it is imminent that he will be recognized for it. This movie will break records at the box office and will make triumphant waves during awards season - just like Michael did throughout his entire career!

Feel free to check out the trailer for yourself: