The Michael Jackson biopic Michael, starring the late pop icon’s real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson, begins its streaming video on demand run on STARZ this week as production on Michael 2 looms.
Jaafar Jackson, who is the son of Jermaine Jackson, stars as the King of Pop in his teen and adult years in Michael, while Juliano Valde plays the singer as a 10-year-old with his brothers in the Jackson Five. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film also stars Colman Domingo and Nia Long as the singer’s parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson, and Miles Teller as Michael Jackson’s longtime manager John Branca.
Produced by Lionsgate, Michael premiered in theaters on April 24 and debuted on digital streaming via premium video on demand on June 9. Along the way, Michael became the highest-grossing music biopic of all time (beating out the Freddy Mercury and Queen movie Bohemian Rhapsody) in June and crossed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office in July. The film wrapped up its domestic theatrical run on July 23 with $372.3 million in ticket sales, and its global box office tally stands at $1.020 billion.
Now, following the film’s blockbuster run in theaters and on PVOD, Michael will make its streaming video on demand premiere on the STARZ app on Monday, Aug. 10. For viewers who don’t subscribe to the streaming app, the service provides ad-free programming for $7.99 per month or $74.99 per year.
Michael will premiere on STARZ’s cable channel on Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
Lionsgate Is Aiming For A Late 2026 Or Early 2027 Start Date For ‘Michael 2’
Michael chronicles the singer’s life from the rise of the Jackson Five through his life as a multiplatinum artist through the releases of his Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad albums. The film concludes in 1988 as Jackson begins his Bad tour, and per the promise on the title card following the final scene in the film — “HIS story continues” — Michael 2 is up next.
During Lionsgate’s quarterly earnings call on Thursday, the studio’s film division chief, Adam Fogelson, said (via Variety) that filming for Michael 2 would begin at “the end of this year or early next.”
While Michael had a production budget of $200 million before marketing costs (via Deadline), Fogelson said during the earnings call that he wasn’t able to discuss the sequel’s price tag just yet. He did note, however, that scenes shot for the original film would likely be used for the sequel.
“We do have a number of sequences, particularly some big musical sequences, that were shot previously, that are almost sure to be incorporated but we are mostly focused right now on how to make sure we can deliver, at the right price, the biggest, best sequel,” Fogelson told investors. “That is what the audience is going to want and deserve after the experience we gave them the first time.”
Rated PG-13, Michael arrives on SVOD on STARZ on Monday. The Michael Jackson biopic is currently available to purchase or rent on digital streaming.