Lionsgate has confirmed that the highly anticipated Michael biopic may no longer hit cinemas this October as previously expected. During a recent earnings call, studio executives revealed that the film is now likely to debut after March 2026, shifting its release into the next fiscal year.
CEO Jon Feltheimer broke the news while discussing the company’s Q4 financial results, explaining that Michael will “likely move out” of the fiscal 2026 window, which ends March 31, 2026, and instead premiere sometime after April 1, 2026.
While that may be a longer wait for fans, there’s still plenty of reason to be excited. Feltheimer shared that Lionsgate has already viewed three and a half hours of incredible footage, directed by Antoine Fuqua and produced by Oscar-winner Graham King. He promised that a final release plan and timeline will be announced “in the next few weeks.”
Another key detail still being finalised? Whether Michael will be one film—or two. Adam Fogelson, Chairman of Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group, hinted that the story’s scale might demand more time to do justice to the King of Pop’s extraordinary legacy. “Whether or not that can be fit into one movie comfortably is a question we are absolutely asking,” he said, with more answers expected soon.
After the Estate’s update email few weeks ago, we are not surprised of Lionsgate’s comment.
