Even though "Michael" only just hit theaters (at the time of writing) and it wasn't exactly received well by movie critics, Antoine Fuqua's controversial Michael Jackson biopic has already managed to become one of the biggest movies of the year so far.
The film sees Michael's nephew Jaafar Jackson portraying the American pop star and covers his run from being a member of the Jackson 5 through to the Bad tour. Within days of its release, the film "Michael" has brought in over $220 million worldwide, and it's currently got a 97% approval rating from moviegoers on Rotten Tomatoes (which stands in stark contrast to the 38% rating from critics).
If you're not planning to see "Michael" in theaters and would prefer to watch it at home, we don't currently have a streaming or digital release date for the biopic, but I've still tried to predict when the film might be available to watch at home. You can find my best guess at the "Michael" streaming release date below.
When is 'Michael' coming to streaming?
"Michael" hit the big screen on Friday, April 24, and at the time of writing, the only way to watch it will be by heading to your nearest movie theater. And, if it continues to bring in moviegoers at the same pace it has done thus far, this feels unlikely to change anytime soon.
The first way you'll likely be able to watch "Michael" at home will be via Premium Video-on-Demand (PVOD) storefronts like Prime Video or Apple TV. Right now, I'd guess "Michael" will be available to buy or rent digitally in June 2026, possibly June 9 or 16.
That's based on the fact that new movies from major studios typically release digitally 45-65 days after they first hit theaters, and that new movies typically debut on PVOD storefronts on Tuesdays.
As for the film's streaming release, as it's a Lionsgate film, you can expect "Michael" to make its streaming debut on Starz. While we don't have a confirmed streaming date, judging by how long we've typically waited for recent Lionsgate releases, "Michael" might not hit streaming services for a while yet. Right now, I'd guess "Michael" will come to Starz in late August or September 2026.
That's mostly because we wait between four and five months for Lionsgate's streaming releases. For example, "The Long Walk" only came to Starz in January 2026, despite its release in theaters back in September 2025. Similarly, "The Housemaid" hit the big screen in mid-December last year, but only landed on Starz on April 1 this year.
That said, there is a chance that the film could arrive sooner than previous releases. Last February, Forbes reported that Lionsgate had renewed its streaming agreement with Starz, and that "theatrical films will appear on Starz on an accelerated basis closer to their initial theatrical release."
Don't have Starz? In that same report, we also learned that Lionsgate had secured a new pay deal with Prime Video that included the full 2026-2028 slate. That deal will bring Lionsgate movies to Prime Video after their initial run on Starz. So, if you want to stream "Michael" on one of the more prominent streamers, you'll presumably be waiting for the biopic to come to Prime Video at some point in the future.
Of course, this is all just my own speculation, as, once again, we do not have confirmed streaming info for "Michael" at the time of writing. As soon as we hear anything, we'll be sure to update this article, so keep checking back.
