“You’re confident. You’re strong. You’re beautiful. You’re the greatest of all time.” No, dear reader, you’ve not stumbled upon us reciting Team Empire’s morning affirmations, but rather the first lines from the new trailer for Michael, Antoine Fuqua’s upcoming, Jackson family sanctioned, Jaafar Jackson-starring — you guessed it! — Michael Jackson biopic. And if that feels indicative of how black or white Fuqua’s MJ movie may be, then the rest of the trailer will give you even more of a steer on it. (Moon)walk this way and check it out;
With a specific — and seemingly sole — focus on Jacko’s Jackson Five years and subsequent pivot to solo pop megastardom, this latest trailer for Michael suggests, like its record-breaking first teaser, that Antoine Fuqua and co will largely be sticking to the hits here — both literally (‘Billie Jean’ gets a plinky piano arrangement and big needledrop) and figuratively (there’s a shot gesturing at MJ’s ill-fated 1984 Pepsi commercial.) Despite an appearance from Jacko’s simian friend Ben, Better Man this most assuredly ain’t. We do however see some uneasy dinner table chat with Jackson’s domineering father Joe (Colman Domingo), signalling at least some dramatic tension, and get a slew of shots of iconic Jackson fits, performances, and video shoots. It’s all very Bohemian Rhapsody (Bohee-heemian Rhapsody, if you will), but that may well suit fans otherwise fearful of how the various controversies that remain deeply entwined with Jackson’s musical legacy will play into Fuqua’s film.
The official synopsis for Michael — which elsewhere stars Miles Teller, Nia Long, Jessica Sula, Larenz Tate, Laura Harrier, Kat Graham, and Juliano Valdi — reads: “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 fuelled 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.”
Will Michael be a total Thriller of a biopic? Or, after a turbulent production, could it wind up just being Bad? We’ll Rock With You and find out when Antoine Fuqua’s latest hits cinemas on 24 April.
