Michael Jackson fans will thrill to the classic tracks included in Michael. Along with Jackson 5 hits like "I'll Be There," "ABC," and "Ben," Michael explains the creation of iconic Billboard and MTV chart-toppers like "Beat It," "Billie Jean," and "Thriller." 13 of Jackson's most beloved songs are included in Michael's soundtrack, yet many more were omitted from the biopic.
In an interview with ScreenRant's Liam Crowley, director Antoine Fuqua, producer Graham King, and star Colman Domingo, who portrayed patriarch Joseph Jackson, discussed why certain songs were and weren't used in Michael. Domingo, King, and Fuqua also reveal the depth of their Michael Jackson knowledge, citing some of their favorite deep-cut tracks. Read their quotes below:
Liam Crowley: Were there any songs that you really liked that just didn't line up with the timeline? I asked this to Scott Cooper, who directed Springsteen, and he was like, "Man, there were so many, but it was after the time period of which we were trying to tell the story."
Graham King: Right. I mean, there's no question. There's "Man in the Mirror", Dangerous album and the Bad album, and "Rock With You." I like "Shake Your Body" from that time. There's so many. There's just so many. And underscoring, using Michael's catalog to underscore wasn't as easy as we thought going in because the lyrics don't match the scene. So it became more instrumental, worked better with his catalog.
Colman Domingo: And certain things you have to keep out. I'm always going back to the Philly International moment when they went to do "Show Me The Way to Go," with Gamble and Huff. I'm like, that's a moment when the Jacksons were becoming young men, and they wanted to have another sound outside of Motown.
Antoine Fuqua: He also had that cinematic, "We're Almost There," when they were The Jackson 5. I forget all about that song.
Michael's specific timeline means that many later tracks from the Bad album onward didn't make the film. Michael charts Jackson's youth as the lead voice of the Jackson 5 in the 1960s and early 70s, to his emergence as a solo artist in the late 70s to early 1980s. Michael's climax is the 1984 Victory tour, which was the future King of Pop's final performances with the Jackson 5.
"Bad" is the only track from the Bad album that's included in Michael, fittingly at the end. Every other song choice had to work within Michael's timeline as a biopic, which meant that favorites like "Man in the Mirror" didn't make the cut. As Graham King noted, certain beloved hits, while tough to lose, had lyrics that didn't fit Michael's overall narrative.
Michael's 35% Rotten Tomatoes score reflects criticism of how the biopic sidesteps the controversies surrounding Michael Jackson's life, although many of the child sexual abuse allegations also took place in his later years, after Michael's timeline ends. John Logan's screenplay originally contained content addressing the sordid aspects of Jackson's life, but the final film omits any mention, focusing instead on empathy towards Michael.
Regardless of critics slamming the biopic, Michael is projected for a blockbuster $150 million global opening at the worldwide box office. For Jackson's legions of fans, Michael is a resurrection of the King of Pop, telling the story of Jackson's early and prime years when his music conquered the world.
Release Date
April 24, 2026
Runtime
130 minutes
Director
Antoine Fuqua
Writers
John Logan
Producers
Graham King, John Branca, John McClain
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Jaafar Jackson
Michael Jackson
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English (US) ·