The MJ Biopic Drops Today. The Marketing Story Is Better Than The Film.

What's Poppin', Munchies!!

Okay so the King of Pop is literally back today and we have thoughts. The Michael Jackson biopic drops in theatres right now, as in literally today, April 24. And the marketing story around it? Way more interesting than the film itself.

This week’s heat · The Michael Jackson Biopic

Okay so here's the thing nobody is saying out loud: the MJ biopic is already a box office record-breaker, and critics are calling it... kind of bad?

The trailer dropped in November 2025 and was viewed 116.2 million times in 24 hours, more than any trailer for a musical biopic in history, beating Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. The film is projected for a $60M+ opening weekend, which would set a record for musical biopics, beating Bohemian Rhapsody and Straight Outta Compton.

And yet. Critics are calling it "sanitized." "Hagiographic." The film's entire structure had to be rebuilt because of legal clauses involving the depiction of one of Jackson's accusers, with reshoots reportedly costing upward of $15 million, resulting in the film ending during the Bad tour of '88.

The original version of the film addressed the 1993 allegations, but required a massive overhaul after it was discovered that a settlement with his accuser prevented the estate from making mention of the case in any type of film about Jackson.

So what you have is a $155 million film, made with full estate cooperation, starring MJ's actual nephew Jaafar Jackson, that deliberately cuts out the most talked-about chapter of his life. Paris Jackson, his own daughter, called an early script "sugar-coated."

And it's going to make $150 million globally this weekend anyway.

Here's what that means for marketing

This is what perfect audience segmentation looks like, whether they meant it to be or not.

The people who grew up with Thriller and Off The Wall? They want the nostalgia. They don't need the controversy. They'll show up on day one.

The younger audience who knows MJ mostly through TikTok sounds and memes? They're curious. The biopic is their entry point.

The critics and the "Leaving Neverland" camp? They're talking about it loudly online, which is still generating reach.

Three completely different audiences, all driving attention to the same film. That's not luck. That's how polarising IP works.

SPICY DETAIL · There was once a version of the film bookended by the 1993 raid on Neverland Ranch, opening there and then rewinding to trace his life up to that point. That film would have been a completely different cultural conversation. Instead the estate chose legacy protection over critical credibility, and the box office is rewarding them for it.

The lesson? Sometimes "sanitized" is a strategic choice, not a creative failure.

What brands and creators are doing around it

Here's where it gets interesting for us. Major brands are largely staying silent on this one. No brand wants to stick their logo next to a name that carries this much baggage, even in 2026. The official partners are keeping it music-focused, leaning on the iconography (the glove, the moonwalk, Thriller) while staying far away from the man.

Creators though? Different story. Beauty creators are doing MJ-inspired looks.

Fashion accounts are revisiting the red jacket era. Music pages are breaking down the Thriller production. Everyone is riding the cultural moment through the art, not the person. And that's actually the smartest move in the game right now.

For the pros

This is the case study for marketing around controversial IP in 2026. The rule is simple: lead with the work, not the man. You can engage with a cultural moment without endorsing every chapter of someone's story. Lean on iconography, music, cultural impact, and nostalgia. Stay away from anything that requires you to take a position on the person.

The brands winning this moment aren't the official sponsors. They're the ones who found the angle that let them participate without picking a side.

This week's munchie moment

"The biggest marketing lesson from the MJ biopic isn't in the film. It's in what they chose to cut out. Sometimes what you don't say sells better than what you do."

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that's your plate for this week. chew on it, share it, and slide into our DMs if something clicks. 🍽️ see you next week,

— Mauli Saxena