“Michael” Trailer Reveals Jaafar Jackson’s Transformation Into the King of Pop

We now have the first full trailer for Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic, and it’s a doozy. The trailer makes one thing immediately clear: Fuqua’s film will explore the complicated, explosive relationship Jackson (played by Michael’s real-life nephew, Jaafar Jackson) had with his father, Joe (an unrecognizable Colman Domingo, save for his best-in-class voice), the domineering mastermind behind the Jackson Five. At one point in the trailer, at a stage of Michael’s career when his ambitions were starting to strain his supposed place within the larger family, he tells his father he needs to think. Joe’s confused by this desire for autonomy, and replies, “I told you what to think.” If anything could sum up their relationship better than that, I’m not sure what it is.

Michael tracks the titular icon’s fateful decision to strike out on his own and, without hyperbole, become one of the biggest pop stars in history. We’ll get the songs, too, including “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” the first single from his 1979 album “Off the Wall,” and one of the early hits that made it clear that this former member of the Jackson Five was going to be a mega-star as a solo musician. In fact, it was the second single from “Off the Wall” to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and led to Jackson earning his first solo Grammy Award. Not for nothing, “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” is widely considered one of the greatest disco songs of all time.

There’s a moment in the trailer where we see Michael sitting in a living room with a pet chimpanzee. That’s it: a single, decidedly odd moment in a life filled with extraordinary ones and some very dark ones, too, as we know all too well.

The trailer gives us bits of “Billie Jean” and a glimpse at Jackson’s immortal “Thriller” video; we get peeks at Jackson’s relationship with one of the great musical minds of all time, Quincy Jones (Kendrick Sampson), and looks at other important figures from his life; Miles Teller as John Branca, Michael’s long-time attorney and business advisor; Kat Graham as Diana Ross; Jessica Sula as La Toya Jackson, and Laura Harrier as Suzanne de Passe, a music executive who was instrumental in his early career.

“The film 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,” the synopsis reads. “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.”

Check out the teaser trailer below. Michael moonwalks into theaters on April 24.

Featured image: Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in Michael. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate