Michael Jackson’s biopic, Michael, has been making waves since its announcement, and it continues to do so despite all the controversies and delays. After all, be it the music legend’s larger-than-life personality or his iconic music catalog, the film understandably carries massive hype. It had finally received the green light for a release set on April 24, 2026. 

And even before its official premiere, it has hinted at strong success. The movie has already earned millions in its preview screenings alone.

The biopic Michael has earned between $12.5 million and $13.5 million in previews so far, as per Deadline, which is an impressive number for a musical biopic. Earlier, the music biopic, Straight Outta Compton, earned $4.96 million in previews and went on to make $60.2 million in its opening weekend. 

This makes a good case for the biopic based on Michael Jackson to earn more than double that amount. As previously reported by Deadline, the film has also surpassed Project Hail Mary, which made $12 million in combined previews before opening to $80.5 million. Moreover, the movie has already outperformed Dune: Part Two, which earned $12 million, and Oppenheimer, which brought in $10.5 million in previews. 

As of now, the movie is among Lionsgate’s strongest preview performances since The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2. The previous movie earned $16 million in previews back in 2015. As for Michael, which has a 96% Rotten Tomatoes rating, the public clearly has interest in revisiting the music legend’s musical era.

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While its box office numbers are already turning heads, the film’s star-studded cast is just as big a reason behind all the anticipation.

The highly anticipated biopic helms a cast that is the reason behind the fans' intrigue and the box-office numbers:

Jaafar Jackson: The biopic on Michael Jackson is led by his nephew, Jaafar Jackson, who portrays his uncle in the film. Jaafar has been widely praised for his performance, recreating a similar magic in both dance and music, so much so that even family members claimed to have mistaken him for Michael Jackson.

Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson: The Euphoria actor played the role of Michael Jackson’s father, Joe Jackson. 

Nia Long as Katherine Jackson: The Love Jones actress portrayed Katherine Jackson, who is the emotional anchor of the family.

Jessica Sula as La Toya Jackson

Jamal Henderson as Jermaine Jackson

Miles Teller as John Branca

Kendrick Sampson as Quincy Jones

Kat Graham as Diana Ross

Laura Harrier as Suzanne de Passe

Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy

Derek Luke as Johnnie Cochran

The movie has a stellar cast and a brilliant portrayal of Jackson’s impact on the music world and pop culture. And the early success of the movie is only an indication of fans’ love for the legend and his journey. Whether this love translates into a strong theatrical run remains to be seen.

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Will you watch the biopic Michael? Let us know in the comments.