Michael Jackson's strained relationship with dad laid bare in trailer

The world is getting another sneak peek at the upcoming biopic about the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson. 

A new trailer for Michael has been released, with the legendary hitmaker being played by his nephew, Jaafar Jackson.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film shows the Jackson rags to riches story, from his humble beginnings as a child in Gary, Indiana to the world's biggest star. 

But behind the scenes, Michael endured a strained relationship with his father Joe Jackson. 

Joe ruled over his children with an iron fist - and is a topic which the film doesn't shy away from covering. 

After Joe (played by Colman Domingo) details his plans to take his family's success to the next level, Michael is shown hesitating. 

'I'm planning an international tour. This is just the beginning!' Joe happily exclaims to reporters. 

But the thought makes Michael pause. 'I need to think,' he says during a private meeting with his family. 

'I told you what to think,' Joe replies.  

'I love my family, but I just wanna do my own thing,' Michael says. 'I just have all these ideas in my own head. I just need to get them out.' 

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Michael's career began alongside his siblings as part of the family's Jackson Five band. 

It was Joe who served as the band's manager and pushed them to success. 

'Let me tell you something. In this life, you're either a winner or a loser. Y'all want to work at a steel mill like me for the rest of your days?' Joe asks his children over dinner. 'Yeah, cause I sure as hell don't. Y'all willing to fight for it?' 

Of course the trailer shows Michael's famous dance moves - ones which his nephew perfectly emulates.

From the moon walk to his famous Thriller music video, Jackson's musical legacy is fully captured. 

Even Bubbles, Michael's pet monkey, makes an appearance. 

Michael's mother Katherine Jackson is played by Nia Long, who sweetly tells him at one point: 'Michael, I knew you were different the moment you were born.'

The upcoming biopic is slated for release on April 24, 2026.  

The first trailer for Michael was released in November and came after a number of delays, with the biopic initially slated to hit theaters last April. 

However, it was pushed back to October 2025 which was then followed by a third delay - with the official release date in theaters now set for April 24, 2026.

Sources told Deadline back in July that one of the reasons for the delay was due to 'distribution plans' - with the film set to be shown on IMAX screens.

Another reason was due to an excessive running time, with one edit of the movie being over three and a half hours long.

Other delays were the result of certain references to Jordan Chandler - an individual who had accused Michael of sexual assault - which had to be taken out of one of the edited drafts due to a pre-existing agreement.

Insiders also told the outlet that a second movie about the Smooth Criminal hitmaker is in development.

Jaafar - who is the son of Jermaine Jackson and Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza - has been filming scenes of the biopic since 2023.

In early 2023, Jaafar was revealed to have been cast as the leading role of Michael in the biopic, per Deadline, and at the time, jumped to his social media pages to express his excitement.

He shared a black and white image of himself wearing a similar outfit his late uncle had worn in the past while striking a dance pose inside a studio.

'I'm humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael's story to life. To all the fans all over the world, I'll see you soon,' he penned in the caption.

The movie '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 fueled 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,' per The Hollywood Reporter. 

Back in 2023, director Fuqua stated that Jaafar has an 'uncanny' resemblance to his late uncle.

'It's uncanny how much he's like Michael,' the filmmaker previously told Entertainment Weekly. 'Sounds like him, dances like him, sings.'

He continued by admitting, 'It's really uncanny. Graham King, who is a fantastic producer, found him, and introduced him to me, and I was blown away.'

Jaafar is no stranger to the entertainment, and has been both singing and dancing since he was 12-years-old.

In regards to his 'approach' to the biopic, the director said, 'Just to tell the facts as we know it, about the artist, about the man, about the human being. You know, the good, bad, and the ugly.'

Other stars that have been cast in the project include Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Kat Graham, Jessica Sula, Kendrick Sampson and Juliano Krue Valdi.