MICHAEL Jackson will be played by his nephew, Jaafar Jackson, in the biopic ‘Michael’.
It will be directed by Training Day filmmaker Antoine Fuqua, reported German Press Agency (dpa).
“Proud to announce @jaafarjackson as Michael – the motion picture event that explores the journey of the man who became the King of Pop,” Fuqua announced on Instagram. “Coming soon.”
Jackson is the 26-year-old son of Jackson 5 bassist and singer Jermaine Jackson, one of the King of Pop’s older brothers.
Jaafar Jackson confirmed Fuqua’s post on Instagram, adding, “I’m humbled and honoured to bring my uncle Michael’s story to life,” and promising fans, “I’ll see you soon.”
Michael Jackson was one of the most celebrated and controversial artists of all time when he died in 2009 at 50 years old from acute intoxication of propofol. An autopsy revealed he was otherwise healthy.
Known for more than four decades as a dazzling performer responsible for hit tunes including Beat It, Rock With You and Thriller, Michael Jackson won countless awards and was honoured by presidents.
His legacy is also dogged by controversy involving allegations of child sex abuse made in the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, which his estate called “another lurid production in an outrageous and pathetic attempt to exploit and cash in on Michael Jackson.”
It’s unclear how Fuqua will approach those controversies in Michael, which has rights to the singer’s music catalogue, according to Deadline.
Like his uncle, the film’s star reportedly began performing at a young age. Deadline reports Jaafar Jackson began singing and dancing at 12 years old.
He appeared on Oprah Behind the Scenes in 2011, according to IMDb, which also credits him with a 2015 appearance on reality TV show The Jacksons: Next Generation.
Producer Graham King says Jaafar personifies the spirit and personality of Michael in a powerful way. Fuqua was also impressed with Jaafar's natural ability to emulate Michael and his great chemistry with the camera.
The team administered a worldwide casting search before finding the actor who would portray Jackson.
“I met Jaafar over two years ago and was blown away by the way he organically personifies the spirit and personality of Michael,” said King.
“It was something so powerful that even after conducting a worldwide search, it was clear that he is the only person to take on this role. I am beyond thrilled that he has come on board to portray his uncle and cannot wait for the world to see him on the big screen as Michael Jackson.”
“It’s incredibly exciting to watch Jaafar bring Michael to life,” said Fuqua. “There was such a spiritual connection when I first met Jaafar, who has a natural ability to emulate Michael and such a great chemistry with the camera.”
John Logan, writer of ‘Gladiator’, ‘Skyfall’, and ‘Spectre’, is penning the screenplay for ‘Michael’, which is set to begin principal photography this year
Jermaine Jackson’s unverified Twitter account congratulated the 68-year-old performer’s son for his “first footprint in the music industry” when Jackson released his first single, Got Me Singing, in June 2019.
That same Twitter feed blasted Leaving Neverland as “uninterested in facts” a few months earlier.
“Let this man rest,” he told a British talk show in 2019. – Agencies, January 31, 2023
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