Nia Long, Colman Domingo, and Jaafar Jackson grace the April 2026 cover of ESSENCE‘s digital magazine. Colman, Jaafar and Nia star in Michael Jackson‘s upcoming biopic.
The musical, directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, documents Michael’s journey from Gary, Indiana as the 9-year-old lead singer of the Jackson 5, to become the King of Pop.
Casting began in January 2023, with Jermaine Jackson‘s son, Jaafar, being cast as his famous uncle.
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Nia Long plays Katherine Jackson, Michael’s mom, while Colman Domingo plays Joe Jackson, Michael’s father.
Filming began in January 2024, after being delayed due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.
“It was a really long shoot. So we had to love each other,” Nia said of the cast’s chemistry.
“The goal for us, for me, was to just honor Michael in a way that would just make the fans excited,” Nia added. “We wanted to tell the story the way the story really needs to be told, but also, we wanted fans to get excited that this was happening. And to have Jaafar at the center of it was really amazing because he’s an extension of the family.”
Jaafar, 29, spent nearly two and a half years working with Michael’s choreographers to learn his late uncle’s complex dance moves. Nia says Jaafar was totally immersed in the role.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” she said.
Colman added: “His work ethic is top-notch, so it was just amazing to watch him be in the center of this every single day.”
The biopic has been in the works since November 2019. Lionsgate announced the movie in February 2022. Instead of playing it safe by streaming, Lionsgate announced the film would open worldwide in movie theaters.
Michael is scheduled for theatrical release on April 24, 2026, by Lionsgate in the United States and Universal Pictures internationally.
Watch the final trailer below.
