Showbiz411’s Roger Friedman is reporting that Antoine Fuqua’s “Michael” will be split into 2 two-hour films, and they will both be released in 2026. He’s confirming it via an “exclusive” piece. For now, the film still has that October 3, 2025 release date (it will inevitably get pushed in the coming weeks).
This gives Sony Music enough time to organize soundtracks and tie-ins, and to get everyone ready for Michael’s nephew, Jafaar, who plays his uncle in the movie, up to speed in the public eye. Sources who’ve seen footage of Jafaar can’t stop raving about his performance.
Last week, Deadline & Variety confirmed that the latest cut of “Michael” clocked in at nearly four hours and that Lionsgate might pull the trigger in splitting the film into two parts. The goal was to turn it into an “event” movie akin to ‘Wicked.’
Hey, if Sam Mendes can release four Beatles movies, then why not have a Michael Jackson biopic be split into two parts? Maybe one day we’ll get Fuqua’s 4-hour cut released via a Blu-ray package of some sort, but the current plan is to split it into two and have a spring and fall 2026 release.