Watch: ‘Michael’ Trailer Revisits Thriller-Era Magic With Jaafar Jackson

The teaser poster for “Michael” features depictions of Michael Jackson across different stages of his career for the upcoming Antoine Fuqua-directed biopic. (Courtesy Lionsgate)

Lionsgate released the first trailer for “Michael,” Antoine Fuqua’s upcoming biopic about the King of Pop, offering the closest look yet at how one of music’s most iconic stories will be retold for a new generation. The teaser will play in theaters ahead of “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” and the film is scheduled to hit theaters April 24, 2026.

Jackson is portrayed by his nephew Jaafar Jackson, whose resemblance has drawn attention since production began. The trailer opens in a recording studio with Quincy Jones — played by Kendrick Sampson — telling Jackson the tracks are ready before the film flashes through childhood moments, breakthrough performances and unmistakable visuals from “Thriller,” set to the pulse of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.”

The cast features a wide lineup of heavy hitters: Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, Miles Teller as attorney John Branca, Jessica Sula as LaToya Jackson, Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy, Laura Harrier as Suzanne de Passe and Kat Graham as Diana Ross. Additional roles include Liv Symone as Gladys Knight, Kevin Shinick as Dick Clark and KeiLyn Durrel Jones as longtime security chief Bill Bray.

The project — written by John Logan and produced by Graham King alongside estate co-executors John Branca and John McClain — wrapped principal photography in 2024 before undergoing additional shooting. Early rumors suggested the story might be split into two films, but the current marketing push frames a single, full narrative.

The teaser closes on an intimate detail: Jackson asking, “Q, can you lower the lights for me, please?” as the studio dims and his silhouette comes into focus — an image signaling that Fuqua’s film aims to revisit not just the legend, but the artist behind it.

Watch the full trailer below.

Teyana Taylor, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Iman Lead Ebony’s 80th Anniversary Celebration

Teyana Taylor accepts the Entertainer of the Year award during the 2025 Ebony Power 100 Gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Matt Sayles / Ebony Media Group)

Teyana Taylor was crowned Entertainer of the Year at Ebony’s Power 100 Gala Tuesday night, leading a lineup that included Tracee Ellis Ross, Iman, Shaquille O’Neal, Lonnie G. Bunch III and reality TV star Olandria Carthen.

The celebration, held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, marked Ebony magazine’s 80th anniversary and drew a cross-section of Black talent and industry power players. Robin Thede hosted the evening, with live performances by Ari Lennox and Lucky Daye, as honorees spanning music, fashion, film, sports and philanthropy took center stage.

Taylor — the creative whose work now stretches far beyond her early “Google Me” and “Maybe” days — has evolved into one of the culture’s sharpest artistic voices. The “Rose in Harlem” artist accepted her award with her trademark calm, calling the honor a reflection of “the work behind the light.”

Tracee Ellis Ross, recognized as Pathbreaker of the Year, credited the women who came before her while urging others to define success on their own terms. Iman, named Icon of the Year, spoke briefly about perseverance and the quiet power of longevity — a statement that needed no embellishment from someone who helped rewrite the rules of modeling itself.

Shaquille O’Neal received Entrepreneur of the Year, using the moment to announce he would rename the honor after the late Junior Bridgeman, highlighting the legacy of mentorship in Black business. Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, was honored as Humanitarian of the Year, while Olandria Carthen took home the People’s Choice Award for her entrepreneurial and community work.

The gala coincided with Ebony’s November “Power Issue,” featuring the 2025 honorees on its group cover — a visual nod to the legacy of excellence the brand has chronicled for eight decades.

From Touchdowns to Toddlers: Stefon Diggs Confirms He’s Expecting a Son with Cardi B

Cardi B and Stefon Diggs aboard a yacht during a Memorial Day-weekend outing in Miami, in a photo (now deleted) she posted June 1, 2025 captioned “Chapter 5 … Hello Chapter 6.” (Image via Instagram/@iamcardib)

New England Patriots star Stefon Diggs is officially in dad mode — and fashion mode.

The 31-year-old wide receiver confirmed to People at Monday night’s CFDA Fashion Awards that he and rapper Cardi B are expecting their first child together — and it’s a boy.

“It’s a boy. That’s enough for me,” Diggs told People. “I can’t wait to make him do push-ups and sit-ups and run around.”

Diggs’ revelation came hours after his appearance on "Extra," where he and designer Willie Charvarria walked the red carpet together. In that interview, Diggs — dressed in Charvarria’s custom design — didn’t reveal the gender but said the baby was “supposed to happen real soon,” adding with a grin, “Wish us both luck.”

Charvarria, who has styled Diggs for three straight years, described the look as “about Stefon himself — strong, a winner, chiseled at all times.” Diggs told Extra host Mona Kosar Abdi he makes time for the things that matter: “We had a game yesterday, we won. So, we’re bringing a little good luck.”

 

When asked about A$AP Rocky receiving the Fashion Icon Award, Diggs called him “an inspiration for the culture for a very long time,” a nod to the night’s celebration of men’s fashion.

Cardi B, 33, had already shared the pregnancy news in September during a CBS Mornings interview with Gayle King, confirming:

“I’m having a baby with my boyfriend, Stefon Diggs,” the Bronx-born rapper said. “I feel very strong, very powerful that I’m doing all this work — but I’m doing all this work while I’m creating a baby.”

This will be Cardi’s fourth child. She shares three children with her estranged husband, rapper Offset, and is due before her “Little Miss Drama” tour begins in February 2026.

The couple first appeared publicly together at an NBA playoff game in May, cementing one of hip-hop’s most unexpected crossovers — NFL precision meeting Bronx flair. Since then, they’ve traded supportive social media posts, with Diggs writing under one of Cardi’s posts, “Proud of you for staying focused ❤️” and later adding, “100% team boy 💙🙏🏾.”

Now, after a headline-making red-carpet night and a confirmed boy on the way, the receiver who’s mastered route running may be mapping out his most important play yet — fatherhood.