The thing about Michael is when you’re watching it, it feels like Michael Jackson is in front of you. No wonder it’s gone on to become one of the biggest 2026 movies so far, continuing to make bank at the box office this past weekend. If you’re like me, you probably wondered how much of the music in the film features the legend’s actual voice and how much comes from the actors playing him. Before anyone goes jumping off the wall, we have an answer for you.
When CinemaBlend spoke to director Antoine Fuqua and producer Graham King about the making of Michael, the filmmakers revealed to us a bunch of things like how Jaafar Jackson debuted his moonwalk to them and what it was like to shoot those immersive concert scenes. Here’s what King said about the role of Michael Jackson’s voice in the movie:
It’s a blend with both of [masters and live singing] – with Jafaar and Juliano. I always think [of the] audience. They’re not there, obviously. They’re showing up to see a cinematic experience more than they are listening. But it’s always fun when they can sing a little, like Michael, especially Giuliano, ‘Who’s Loving You’. That acapella, he belted that out. So, it’s always a blend.
It sounds like both Michael actors definitely have the vocal chops to pass for MJ, but as it is ultimately a movie celebrating the King of Pop, it just wouldn’t be right to not have his voice in there at all. The young Michael Jackson was played by Juliano Krue Valdi, who is currently twelve years old. He’d been a fan of the legend since the age of 5, when he was first shown Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” music video from Moonwalker.
Then, with the approval from his family, he started recreating Michael Jackson routines online to a viral reaction, leading to him being cast in Michael at the age of 9. Fuqua told us there was a “magic about him” that led to any of the other auditions for the role to fade away. And when it comes to the man behind adult Michael Jackson, the movie cast MJ’s nephew Jaafar, who even lived in the same house Michael does in the movie. Jackson also said this to Today about the vocals in the movie:
When I was doing all the performances, I was actually singing out live in the microphone on top of Michael’s track… but even, you know, the moments where there’s no backing track, it’s actually me singing the acapellas, which was really fun to do.
Jaafar also learned every move and recreated every moment in his uncle’s life the movie chose to tell in his early life. The actor also has said he lived at the Hayvenhurst property in Encino while filming and made a “research room” for himself while making it to connect with the late King of Pop.
Michael has been such a smash success that there’s already talk of Jafaar coming back for a sequel, but nothing has been confirmed just yet. You can check out Michael in theaters now.