Universal Pictures International has snared distribution rights to Michael, Antoine Fuqua’s upcoming biopic about Michael Jackson that will star his nephew, Jaafar Jackson, in the title role.

The deal was announced on Tuesday by Universal and Lionsgate. According to the pact, Universal will handle global distribution outside of Japan. Lionsgate will take care of domestic dealings.

In announcing the agreement, Joe Drake, chair of Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group, said:  “Michael’s decades-long career left an indelible mark on the way audiences experience entertainment all over the world.

We are thrilled to be partnering with our friends at Universal to give global audiences new insight into the complex life of one of the most prolific artists the world has ever known.”

Production on the biopic will get underway as the SAG-AFTRA writers’ strike wraps up. Antoine Fuqua will be directing Michael from a script by Oscar nominee John Logan. Producing the film will be Graham King with John Branca and John McClain, the co-executors of the Michael Jackson Estate. King is known for his work on Bohemian Rhapsody.

Jackson died at the age of 50 on June 25, 2009 amidst allegations of child sexual abuse.

A Broadway show about his life and career, MJ the Musical, will open on London’s West End in the spring of 2024. Other productions about the so-called “King of Pop” include Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour and Michael Jackson ONE. In addition, there’s the concert documentary, Michael Jackson’s This is It, which has broken global records at the box office.

Details about the content of the upcoming biopic have not yet been released. It’s unclear how the screenplay writers will be handling the story about Jackson’s sexual behavior, which was described in the 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland. The Michael Jackson Estate has taken issue with some of the material in that controversial production.



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