Michael Jackson fans may have to wait longer for the biopic about the late King of Pop to arrive in theaters.
Michael, the upcoming film about Jackson’s life, is expected to be delayed as the movie is potentially divided into two parts, Variety reported on Wednesday, April 2.
If the film is split, Lionsgate and Universal Pictures International will likely delay its current release date of Oct. 3.
The speculation comes after Lionsgate opted not to present new footage of the biopic at its 2025 CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
Related: First Trailer for Michael Jackson Biopic ‘Michael’ Thrills Critics
Last year, Lionsgate rolled out the film’s first official trailer at the annual event, which draws movie theater owners, vendors and film critics from around the world.
Universal Pictures secured international distribution rights for Michael in October 2023. The biopic stars Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, in the title role. Jaafar is the son of Jermaine Jackson.
The cast also includes Oscar-nominated actor Colman Domingo as family patriarch Joe Jackson, Nia Long portrays Michael’s mother Katherine Jackson, and Miles Teller plays the singer’s longtime manager John Branca.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer 3), Michael is backed by the Jackson estate.
As previously reported, Lionsgate has said the film will cover all aspects of the singer’s life, but it’s unclear if it will address the abuse allegations against the superstar.
The film is produced by Graham King (Bohemian Rhapsody), along with Branca and John McClain, co-executors of Jackson’s estate. The script was written by John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator).
At CinemaCon 2024, Graham King revealed the movie will feature more than 30 of Jackson’s songs. He noted that the film will be “long,” which could be another reason for splitting it into two parts.
Michael has a reported budget of about $155 million, per IMDb.
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