The King of Pop goes streaming.
“Michael,” a musical biopic that follows the career of Michael Jackson, will begin streaming on Starz on August 10th. “Michael,” which was released on April 24, grossed more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office and became one of the biggest hits of 2026. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, Michael chronicles Jackson’s rise to fame and features his brothers’ involvement in the Jackson 5 band. From the 1960s to the “Bad” tour in the late 1980s. Jackson is played by his nephew Jaafar Jackson, and the child actor is played by Giuliano Vardi, both of whom are making their film debuts. The film features an ensemble cast including Coleman Domingo as patriarch Joe Jackson, Nia Long as matriarch Katherine Jackson, Miles Teller as entertainment lawyer John Branca, and Laura Harrier as music producer Suzanne de Passe. Also starring are Kat Graham as Diana Ross and Larenz Tate as Motown founder Berry Gordy. The Jackson brothers are played by Jamal R. Henderson as Jermaine, Tre Horton as Marlon, Ryan Hill as Tito, Joseph David Jones as Jackie, and Jessica Sula as LaToya. Lionsgate first announced the film in February 2022, with Fuqua and Jaafar joining the project in February 2023.
Variety critic Owen Gleiberman praised Jaafar’s performance in the film, saying that Jaafar “looked, voiced, moved statically, and more than that, he had the combination of delicacy and steel that made Michael the man he was.” Gleiberman added that “Michael” could be the first biopic to launch a series, and Lionsgate is expected to make a sequel.
Starz’s current promotion discounts your subscription to $6 per month for the first three months. Meanwhile, Amazon Prime members can get a free trial of Starz here.
