The first trailer has dropped for the controversial upcoming biopic about the life of Michael Jackson, and fans already have complaints about his voice in the trailer.
Called Michael, the film has been rife with controversy before it has even come out, with Paris Jackson slamming Colman Domingo, who is playing Joe Jackson.
Releasing in 2026, there have also been reports of extensive reshoots on the film, with The Guardian claiming that the film had been found to breach a settlement deal with someone who had accused Jackson of abuse, with their settlement supposedly stating they cannot feature in any films about his life.
In the film, Jackson will be played by the pop star's nephew, Jaafar Jackson, the son of Jermaine Jackson, with Jamal R. Henderson set to play Jermaine in the film.
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The film’s trailer does not touch on this controversial aspect of the late musician's life; however, fans on social media have pointed out how the film appears to play into a common myth about the pop star.
Whilst the trailer appears to use his commonly known high wispy voice, this was not Jackson’s real speaking voice.
One fan addressed this, tweeting: "The voice is going to be way too fake and caricature-sounding. People who knew Michael in real life say that his real voice was deeper than you’d expect from his public appearances."
The video below shows Jackson's real voice, which was far deeper than the one he would use in most public speaking appearances.
Whilst much of the reaction pointed to how much Jaafar Jackson looks like his uncle, others have stated their hopes that the biopic does not omit some of the more controversial elements of Jackson's life.
One fan replied to the trailer on X, saying: "The trailer looks great, but I hope they don't shy away from the more complicated parts of his life. a true biopic has to tell the whole story."
Allegations of sexual abuse against Michael Jackson have plagued the pop star's legacy, which led to a more than $20 million lawsuit settlement with one family.
These allegations became the focus of public attention again in 2019 due to the documentary Leaving Neverland, which followed two men who accused Jackson of abusing them as children, Wade Robson and James Safechuck.
The pair alleged that Jackson had abused them on his Neverland ranch, with the pair later suing the Michael Jackson estate over the abuse.
The estate has long denied the allegations against Jackson.
Due to the controversy surrounding whether the film would address the allegations, as well as extensive reshoots and Paris Jackson's admonishment of Colman Domingo for suggesting she gave him advice about the film, The Guardian suggested the biopic may be 'cursed'.
Paris Jackson, speaking about Domingo's claim that Paris and her brother Prince were supportive of the film and he had spoken to her, said: "Don’t be telling people I was ‘helpful’ on the set of a movie I had 0% involvement in lol that is so weird.
“I read one of the first drafts of the script and gave my notes about what was dishonest/didn’t sit right with me and when they didn’t address it I moved on with my life.
“Not my monkeys, not my circus. God bless and God speed.”
Michael releases in cinemas April 24, 2026.
Topics: Michael Jackson, TV and Film, Film
Michael Slavin