Michael Jackson Movie Trailer Has Record Views for Biopic Launch

The first teaser trailer for Michael, Antoine Fuqua‘s upcoming biopic chronicling Michael Jackson‘s meteoric rise that led to him becoming the King of Pop, is already making history, even though the film is not scheduled to open in theaters until April next year. Lionsgate released a preview for the controversial feature towards the end of last week, offering fans of the late superstar their best look yet at the long-delayed project, which stars the musician’s real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson in the titular role. It seems that it piqued people’s interest as the trailer shattered streaming records on multiple fronts within the first 24 hours of its debut.

According to data from WaveMetrix, per Screen Rant, the Michael trailer racked up 116.2 million views worldwide in the first 24 hours of its release on Nov. 6, making it the most-viewed trailer for any musical biopic or concert movie in history. It surpassed the first-day trailer record previously held by the immensely popular Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (96.1 million views), while also shooting ahead of the 24-hour global trailer traffic for Paramount Pictures’ Bob Marley: One Love (60. 1 million views), 20th Century Fox’s Bohemian Rhapsody (57.6 million views), and Searchlight Pictures’ A Complete Unknown (47.2 million views).

The Michael trailer also secured the largest ever trailer debut for Lionsgate all told, which is an impressive feat considering the studio is behind blockbuster franchises like John Wick, Now You See Me, and The Hunger Games. The Michael trailer got off to a flying start, receiving upwards of 30 million global views within its first six hours online — 50% more than Keanu Reeves’ John Wick: Chapter 4 during that same timeframe, with the latter going on to earn $447 million at the worldwide box office. The early engagement with the Michael trailer suggests it might be a popular choice for moviegoers when it eventually hits the big screen.

‘Michael’ Release Date: When Is the Michael Jackson Biopic Arriving in Theaters?

At the time of writing, the Michael trailer is currently #2 on YouTube’s trending chart for movies and television shows, outpacing Scream 7, The Family Man Season 3, and Percy Jackson & The Olympians Season 2, but coming in second to the highly anticipated trailer for Stranger Things Season 5. It is likely to rack up many more views while fans wait for an extended trailer, especially as word gets out about it. Initial spectators praised the film’s “perfect casting,” bolstered by Jaafar as Michael Jackson, Colman Domingo as his father Joe Jackson, Nia Long as his mother Katherine Jackson, Jessica Sula as his sister LaToya Jackson, Miles Teller as his attorney and adviser John Branca, plus several other family members and industry figures.

The official synopsis for Michael (shared below) promises to give audiences “a front-row seat” to the music icon like never before, but they have a little bit longer to wait before they are given an all-access pass. The film is scheduled to be released on Apr. 24, 2026, following a number of setbacks and delays. It was originally expected to open in April this year, but was pushed to October, presumably to make it a possible contender for awards season. However, Lionsgate then pushed it back again, with the studio citing the runtime (reports indicated that the film could be split into two parts) as well as extensive reshoots as the reason.

“Michael tells the story of Michael Jackson’s life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world. Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. This is where his story begins.”

The record-breaking Michael trailer will debut in theaters next weekend ahead of Lionsgate’s long-awaited heist sequel Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, which will give even more people the chance to watch it.