Michael Is Up for Preorder, with Two 4K Steelbook Editions to Choose From

Say what you will about the man himself, but Michael the movie biopic is a certified smash hit. No one can deny that the King of Pop was a Big Deal in the 1970s and ‘80s. He was one of, if not the, biggest celebrities on the planet. And director Antoine Fuqua’s new movie about Michael Jackson, starring the pop legend’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, has been burning up the box office. Now, physical copies of the movie are available to preorder, including two separate limited-edition steelbook versions exclusive to Amazon and Walmart. You can take your pick, or buy a standard edition.

Michael – Limited Edition 4K Steelbook (Amazon Exclusive)

Michael – Limited Edition 4K Steelbook (Walmart Exclusive)

Michael – Standard Edition

Bonus Features

As for the bonus features included in any of these editions, we just don’t know yet. They haven’t been announced. When they are, we’ll add them here.

Is the Movie Any Good?

Rarely has there been such a canyon between critic reviews and user reviews as there is with the movie Michael. According to Rotten Tomatoes, critics rated it an average of 38%, while user reviews put it at a towering 97%.

Our own critic agreed with the critical consensus, giving the movie a 3/10 in IGN’s review, calling it, “a film of listlessness and inhumanity that can’t help but suck the energy out of the room. No matter where you come down on Jackson as a person, this film is entirely the opposite of what he was, both as an iconic performer and a controversial tabloid figure. Who would have thought that such a carefully controlled, estate-permitted biopic might actually do more damage to an artist’s legacy by making him so uninteresting?”

The movie depicts Michael’s years as a child prodigy in the Jackson 5, as well as his rise to the top of pop stardom in the 1980s. An early version of the film delved into an accusation of child sexual abuse; however, that story line got cut after lawyers intervened. What followed was a series of extensive edits, rewrites, and reshoots to turn the movie into what it is now.

Despite the behind-the-scenes turmoil, the movie ends with the promise of a sequel, so we’ll have to wait and see what additional story lines the lawyers allow as Jackson’s story continues into the 1990s and beyond. Those are the years when, even to outside eyes, things started getting weird. That’s when he started getting extensive plastic surgery and retreating into reclusiveness, and his music started losing its cultural prominence – to say nothing of the additional child abuse accusations. It’s hard to imagine what kind of movie about that period the Jackson estate would approve. But this is America, so if there’s more money to be made, you better believe they’ll find a way to make it.

For more, check out our full list of upcoming 4K and Blu-rays, which has release dates for all the biggest movies and TV shows coming to home video.

Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.