Michaelhas delayed its release date. Michael is the upcoming biopic about King of Pop Michael Jackson, chronicling his music career. It will be directed by The Equalizer franchise helmer Antoine Fuqua. Playing the titular musician is Jafaar Jackson, a real-life relative of Michael Jackson. Michael also features a cast including Nia Long, Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Colman Domingo, Kat Graham, Larenz Tate, Kendrick Sampson, and Derek Luke. The script is penned by John Logan and the movie will be produced by John Branca, David B. Householter, Graham King, John McClain, and Justin Simien.
As per Collider, Michael has officially delayed its release date. The biopic is now set to be released on October 3, 2025. This represents a six-month delay, as the film was originally slated for release in April. The distributor, Lionsgate, has insinuated that they have liked what they have seen in the film, and want to push it close to a prime awards season release.
What This Means For Michael
Michael Could Be An Awards Contender
Typically, a release date delay could be a harbinger of doom for an unreleased film, as it could indicate production delays among other things. This was not the case for Michael, putting the film in a unique position. In fact, Michael actually called "that's a wrap" months ago, finishing filming in May 2024. This swift production positions the film in a powerful position in that it has been given more time to refine the edit in post-production as well as make a coherent publicity strategy.
The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua repeats a genius casting trick from a $200 million dollar biopic from 9 years ago.
Changing the release date from April to October also vastly increases Michael's award potential. While it is possible for spring releases to garner attention at the Oscars and other major awards, the strongest contenders tend to be put out towards the end of the year. Because Lionsgate is pushing this fall 2025 release, it means that they are looking at the Fuqua film as a big draw for the studio in it 2025 to 2026 awards season, boding well for the film.
Our Take On Michael's Release Date Change
It Is A Risk (But Might Be Worth Taking)
Though Lionsgate might argue otherwise, I think that there are two sides to the coin when it comes to the release date change. On the one hand, it is the time when Academy members and other major adjudicating bodies are most expecting to see the year's top films. On the other hand, this makes October a more competitive time than April. In addition to the other art awards contenders, this is the month that is most popular for horror movies. So, while Michaelmay have more awards potential with this release date, it will also face greater box office competition.
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