The 'Michael' biopic is in theaters in Japan, holding the top spot at the box office for four consecutive weeks and surpassing 5 billion yen. A sequel is in development with a target release between late 2027 and the first half of 2028.
The Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael' has been a dominant force at the Japanese box office since its June 12 opening. It debuted at number one, held the top spot for three consecutive weeks, and then crossed 5 billion yen in revenue while maintaining its lead among live-action films for a fourth week. The film's marketing in Japan has been extensive, including a kids dance event with Mao Asada and Yuta Nakatsukasa, a popcorn hat with anti-resale measures, and a special video featuring lead actor Jaafar Jackson discussing his grueling preparation.
Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson's real nephew, plays the lead role. He said he rehearsed until his feet bled and went numb, and that he analyzed original footage frame by frame to match his uncle's movements. Director Antoine Fuqua and producer Graham King have been central to the film's promotion. The supporting cast includes Colman Domingo as Joseph Jackson, Nia Long as Katherine, Kendrick Sampson as Quincy Jones, and Miles Teller as John Branca. The screenplay is by John Logan.
The film's success has already led to sequel discussions. Lionsgate chairman Adam Fogelson said the sequel could start filming by the end of 2026 or early 2027, with a release targeted between late 2027 and the first half of 2028. Previously shot musical sequences are likely to be reused. Producer Graham King also revealed that a revival of the 'Captain EO' attraction was considered for the film but cut due to time and rights issues. To mark Jackson's birthday, the 'Beat It' short film will screen in theaters for the first time, playing after 'Michael' at 390 theaters from August 28 to September 17.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every fact links the story it came from.
Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/michael.
CC BY 4.0.
When a claim about Michael／マイケル was confirmed, debunked, or disputed against open-web sources. The record stays even after a claim drops off the facts list.
To mark Michael Jackson's August 29 birthday, the short film for 'Beat It' will screen in theaters for the first time. It plays after the main feature 'Michael' at 390 theaters nationwide, from August 28 to September 17. The 1983 short film carries a non-violent message about walking away from conflict.
Kitan Club will release a capsule toy line based on the classic cat manga What's Michael? on August 21, 2026. The five types include Michael, Poppo, Nyajira, a school uniform variant, and a maneki-neko variant. Each figure comes with a keychain fitting and logo plate.
Lionsgate chairman Adam Fogelson said the sequel to the Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael' could start filming by the end of 2026 or early 2027. The studio targets a release between late 2027 and the first half of 2028. Previously shot musical sequences are likely to be incorporated.
SAG-AFTRA's summer 2026 magazine lists Canadian voice actor Michael Donovan as having died on March 4. He was 72. Fellow voice actor Ian James Corlett posted about Donovan's death after learning of it from the magazine. Donovan voiced Ryoga Hibiki in the original Ranma ½ anime and other roles.
The second series of Michael Jackson's world-limited official trading cards, 'MICHAEL JACKSON - Bad World Tour | Holo Breaker Box (2 packs),' is now on sale at the entertainment goods store PGS. Following the sold-out Premiere Collection from May 2026, the set features live scenes from the 1987-1988 BAD World Tour with hologram specs, VIP pass design cards, and relic cards. The breaker box guarantees at least two hit cards and is priced at 28,000 yen.
Hardware and software engineer Michael Manning built a portable data logger called Weathergotchi that records temperature and humidity and displays the data on a 1.54-inch e-paper screen. No smartphone app is needed; the device shows a graph of past temperature changes. Manning released the circuit diagrams, firmware, and 3D-printable case files as open source on GitHub.
The Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" has held the top spot among live-action films in Japan for four consecutive weeks and crossed 5 billion yen in box office revenue. To mark the milestone, a special video featuring interviews and unreleased footage has been released. The film will also distribute new visitor gift cards in four designs.
Emails between Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Pentagon CTO Emil Michael, made public in court filings on June 30, 2026, show the breakdown of their relationship over restrictions on AI use for mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons. The Pentagon terminated its contract with Anthropic on February 28, 2026, after Amodei refused to lift those restrictions. Anthropic is suing to overturn the Pentagon's designation of the company as a supply chain risk.
The Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael' held the number one spot at the Japanese box office for the third consecutive week, according to Kogyo Tsushinsha's June 26-28 rankings. Three new films entered the top five: 'Supergirl' at second, a new 'Keroro Gunsō' theatrical feature at fourth, and the latest 'Anpanman' film at fifth.
A24 and UNDER R will open a pop-up store in Tokyo and Osaka from July 10 to July 24 to promote the horror film "Bring Her Back." The store at UNDER R Sendagaya in Tokyo and UNDER R Osaka will sell a new apparel collection, books, goods, and an A24 Record Bar. Triple collaboration items involving UNDER R, A24, and international artists will also be available. The Sendagaya location will host a special ice cream stand from JOHN'S ICE CREAM TOKYO. "Bring Her Back" is directed by Danny and Michael Philippou, who previously made "Talk to Me." The film follows siblings Andy and Piper who, after losing their father, come to live with a new mother figure named Laura. Andy is played by Billy Barratt, blind sister Piper by Sola Wong, and the mysterious child Oliver by Jonah Leon Phillips. Sally Hawkins plays Laura. The film opens in Japanese theaters on July 10 with an R15+ rating.
Paramount Pictures has released a new trailer and two parody posters for the upcoming film 'Scary Movie: Reiwa!', the first installment in the franchise in 22 years. The trailer features a character dressed as Michael Jackson performing a moonwalk before falling down stairs, while the posters spoof the King of Pop and the horror film 'Midsommar'. The Wayans brothers return as producers and writers for the first time since 'Scary Movie 2'.
Acrylic keychains of Makoto Kobayashi's cat manga "What's Michael" will be sold as capsule toys starting June 26 at capsule toy outlets across Japan. The keychains feature dancing Michael, Poppo, and Nyajira on the front with different illustrations on the back, and measure up to about 60mm.
The Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael' debuted at #1 in Japan's box office for June 12-14, 2026, according to Kogyo Tsushinsha. Other new entries include 'Osomatsu-san: The Human Scum-ification Plan!!!!!?' at #3, 'Bluey in Cinema: The Sign' at #8, and 'Temporary Extra Service: Milky☆Subway Local Train to the Theater' at #9.
Producer Graham King revealed in a Japan interview that the team discussed recreating Disneyland's 'Captain EO' attraction for the Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael.' The attraction, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and executive produced by George Lucas, was ultimately cut due to time constraints and rights issues. King noted a sequel is in development, leaving the possibility open.
A behind-the-scenes interview video with 12-year-old Juliano Valdi, who plays young Michael Jackson in the biographical film "Michael," has been released. Valdi discusses his role preparation, including studying music videos and practicing dance with choreographers Rich + Tone. The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua, is now in theaters.
A special video titled 'Becoming Michael' has been released for the biographical film 'Michael', which opens in Japan on June 12. The video shows lead actor Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson's real-life nephew, discussing the grueling preparation for the role. Jackson said he rehearsed for hours until his feet bled and went numb, and that every morning he had to remind himself that Michael would not take a day off. The video also includes comments from director Antoine Fuqua and producer Graham King. Fuqua praised Jackson's attention to detail, saying Michael's dance moves are not easy to imitate. The film had advance IMAX screenings in 62 Japanese theaters starting June 5, with 278 limited screenings over three days. Many screenings sold out, especially in urban areas. The film earned 103,825,600 yen over the weekend, with 24 sold-out screenings. Worldwide, the film has reached $890 million in cumulative box office as of June 8. The film depicts Michael Jackson's early career, including his relationship with his father and the creation of his iconic songs.
Director Michael Sarnoski revealed during IGN Live 2026 that the script for the live-action Death Stranding film is almost finished. The film will tell an original story set in the game's world, with possible appearances by game characters. A24 and Hideo Kojima have read the script and are reportedly satisfied.
The staff for the Blue Lock television anime announced the third season's title, Blue Lock: Neo Egoist League, along with a key visual featuring Yoichi Isagi and Michael Kaiser. The reveal came on June 9, celebrated as Blue Lock Day in Japan. Individual character visuals for Isagi and Kaiser were also released. The new season will adapt the "New Hero Wars" story arc from the manga. Mamoru Miyano was previously cast as Kaiser at the end of season two. The anime, produced by studio 8bit, first premiered in October 2022 and ran for 24 episodes. The second season, Blue Lock vs. U-20 Japan, aired in October 2024 for 14 episodes. Crunchyroll streams the series in multiple regions. A live-action Blue Lock film is scheduled to open in Japan on August 7, 2026, with Ado providing the theme song. The manga, written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Yusuke Nomura, launched in August 2018 and won the Best Shōnen Manga award at the 45th Kodansha Manga Awards in 2021.
Coleman Domingo, who plays Joseph Jackson in the biographical film 'Michael', shared his approach to the role. The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua, releases in Japan on June 12. Domingo spent two and a half hours in makeup daily and drew on his own stepfather to portray the Jackson family patriarch as a complex figure, not a simple villain.
A popcorn case shaped like a black hat commemorating the Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael' will go on sale at TOHO Cinemas starting June 5, 2026. The 3,800 yen item includes a large popcorn and has generated buzz on social media. Strict anti-resale measures require TOHO-ONE membership on the first day, with a limit of one per person.
A special kids dance session was held on May 31 at EBiS303 in Tokyo to celebrate the release of the Michael Jackson biopic "Michael／マイケル." Figure skater Mao Asada and GENERATIONS dancer Yuta Nakatsukasa appeared as guests. The two performed a dance to Jackson's "Beat It" alongside 172 child dancers. Asada said she has long wanted to skate to a Michael Jackson song but held back because of his stature as a global dancer. She added that she might be better at the moonwalk on ice. Nakatsukasa called Jackson a god and said he would name him as the person he most wants to meet. He cited Jackson's skill at singing in a large stadium without in-ear monitors as something he learns from. Both praised Jaafar Jackson, the director Antoine Fuqua's nephew who plays the lead role. Asada said she was most surprised by his voice, calling it a miracle that an actor could look so much like the real Jackson. Nakatsukasa said DNA is incredible and that he felt Jackson himself appeared in the latter half of the film. The movie opens in Japanese theaters on June 12.
A new 'First Look' video and making-of photos for the biographical film 'Michael' show Jafaar Jackson, nephew of the King of Pop, discussing his mission to portray his uncle and practicing dance to achieve perfection. The film releases in Japan on June 12 after a strong North American run.
The Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael' has released a new clip recreating the 1983 'Billie Jean' performance where the singer first performed the moonwalk. The film stars Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson's nephew, who underwent two years of rehearsal and analyzed original footage frame by frame to match the movements. The scene was filmed at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, the same venue where the original 'Motown 25' special was recorded. Director Antoine Fuqua said the team felt a responsibility to accurately recreate the historic moment. The film also announces a three-day limited IMAX preview screening from June 5 to 7 at 62 theaters nationwide. Attendees will receive an A3 poster on a first-come, first-served basis. The movie traces Jackson's life from his childhood in the Jackson 5 through his solo career and global fame. The supporting cast includes Colman Domingo as father Joseph, Nia Long as mother Katherine, Kendrick Sampson as producer Quincy Jones, and Miles Teller as lawyer John Branca. The screenplay is by John Logan, with Graham King producing. 'Michael' opens nationwide on June 12, distributed by Kino Films.