A Biopic of Michael Jackson in 2026: A Film Caught Between Industry Constraints and the Quest for Consensus
Michael Jackson's universe has always been closely tied to the seventh art, and his music videos have often blurred the lines between film genres. In "Thriller" (1983), directed by John Landis, we are clearly in the realm of horror, with its creature and nocturnal drama. In "Bad," directed by Martin Scorsese, the video takes on a social and urban drama tone, with a rising sense of tension and a narrative-like situation. "Remember the Time," directed by John Singleton, unfolds like a historical film, with sets, costumes, reenactments, and conflicts. And in "You Rock My World," with Marlon Brando, the video slips into film noir territory, with dialogue, nighttime atmosphere, and a narrative-like plot.
Michael Jackson was able to subvert cinema and use it to serve his musical universe, creating mini-stories where he became a character of fiction. However, when cinema directly takes on his life, the tone changes profoundly.
This 2026 biopic is part of a highly controlled project, led by producers and rights holders who are keen to manage his image, in a context where his legacy remains highly sensitive. Between industry constraints and the quest for consensus, the narrative seems to be traversed by numerous adjustments and concessions.
Despite this, something works in this proposal. The film activates a form of collective nostalgia. A whole generation finds an intimate memory there. In the theater, the reaction is almost instinctive: the bodies follow the rhythm, the refrains return involuntarily. An energy that overflows the film's device. It awakens fragments of adolescence, rooms adorned with posters, portable players carried like a soundtrack of everyday life, a very carnal way of inhabiting music.
The public's euphoria becomes a motif in itself. The crowds, the screams, the fans in front of the house, at concerts, on set, in the hospital: this collective hysteria constantly sends the spectator back to their own position. On the other side, there is a quieter aspect: Michael Jackson's solitude. Between the two, the film installs a simple but effective tension: the massive public love and the isolation of the central figure.
However, everything remains on the surface. No trail is really followed to the end. The relationship with his father occupies a central, almost overwhelming place, as the key to understanding the construction of the character. The fascination with Peter Pan and Neverland Ranch returns as a recurring motif: prolonged childhood, imaginary refuge, animals as companions, toys, in contrast to the more "adult" trajectories of his brothers and sisters. Even the family figures remain in the background, rather than being truly embodied, with his mother only appearing fully at times.
Certain sensitive elements are avoided or only sketched out. The film remains within a consensual framework, where nothing really overflows. On the other hand, other stories, particularly documentaries, take on a more direct approach. "Michael Jackson, the reverse of a legend" (France TV) or "Leaving Neverland" (2019) by Dan Reed offer more contrasted readings, between investigation and testimonies, in contrast to this restraint.
As for director Antoine Fuqua, he signs a sparkling, effective film that fully assumes its dimension as an homage. However, this visual and narrative coherence has a price. The numerous concert and crowd scenes eventually install a form of repetition, sometimes even slowness. One can see this as a sincere homage to the fans, but this insistence on live performances weighs on the rhythm and fluidity of the narrative.
There is also an issue of transmission that passes through the choice of interpreters. Jafaar Jackson, Michael Jackson's nephew, plays the adult Michael Jackson. A dancer already formed in the family universe, he appeared in the series "The Jacksons: Next Generation." He brings a form of physical evidence to the role: the gestures and rhythm are there, almost inherited. He prolongs Michael Jackson. In a mirror, the child Michael Jackson, played by Juliano Krue Valdi, is distinguished by an interpretation that is surprisingly mastered for his age, which gives the character a presence that is already very defined on screen.
Ultimately, if we expect a cinematic gesture in this film, it does not really come. The film remains a brilliant and pleasant biopic, an object that celebrates Michael Jackson without ever seeking to put him in tension. A film that remains on the surface of his myth, as if it preferred to preserve its luster rather than exploring its shadowy areas.
Cinéphile Tunisienne
