The trailer for the biographical film “Michael” about the life of the legendary Michael Jackson has set an absolute record for music biopics. According to analytics company WaveMetrix, in the first 24 hours after publication, the trailer garnered 116.2 million views worldwide. This is not only the best result in Lionsgate’s history, but also the most-viewed trailer among all music biopics and concert films in the entire history of cinema.
Historical Comparisons
The success of the “Michael” trailer is especially impressive against the backdrop of other iconic music films. The film surpassed the results of such major projects as:
- “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” — 96.1 million views (August 31, 2023)
- “Bob Marley: One Love” — 60.1 million views (July 6, 2023)
- “Bohemian Rhapsody” — 57.6 million views (May 15, 2018)
- “A Complete Unknown” (about Bob Dylan) — 47.2 million views (July 24, 2024)
The calculation took into account aggregate data from different video platforms — YouTube, social networks, official websites, and other sources.
Rapid Start
The speed at which the trailer gained views is particularly impressive. Already in the first six hours after publication, it collected over 30 million views worldwide. This is 50% more than the “John Wick: Chapter 4” trailer garnered in the same period. The trailer’s publication coincided with Lionsgate’s earnings day, which added additional attention to the project.
About the Film
The biographical film “Michael” directed by Antoine Fuqua tells the story of the King of Pop’s life. The film is produced by Graham King, known for projects like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Argo”. The screenplay was written by John Logan, three-time Oscar nominee for his work on films like “Gladiator”, “The Aviator”, and “Hugo”.
Michael Jackson is played by his nephew Jaafar Jackson, which gives the film special authenticity. The film also stars Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, Coleman Domingo as Joe Jackson, and Miles Teller as John Branca.
Release and Distribution
The film “Michael” will be released in theaters on April 24, 2026. Already next weekend, audiences will be able to see the trailer in theaters before the screening of Lionsgate’s new film “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t”.
Distribution will be handled by different companies depending on the region: Lionsgate will handle distribution in the US, Kino Films in Japan, and Universal Pictures in the rest of the world.
Possible Sequel
Earlier, foreign media reported that the film might have a second part. One of Lionsgate’s executives stated that they cannot officially confirm this information yet, but the creators of “Michael” are indeed working on the possibility of a sequel. Given the huge interest in the project, demonstrated by the record number of trailer views, such a decision seems quite logical.
The success of the “Michael” trailer demonstrates the enduring interest in Michael Jackson’s legacy and shows that biographical films about music legends continue to be one of the most sought-after genres in contemporary cinema.