According to Deadline, the late icon’s 26-year-old nephew Jaafar Jackson will star in Antoine Fuqua’s Michael. Jaafar Jackson is the son of Jermaine Jackson, Michael’s brother and a member of The Jackson 5. The singer-songwriter has been singing and dancing since the age of 12, and his debut single “Got Me Singing” was released in 2019.
Jaafar announced the big news alongside his first photo dressed as his late uncle. “I’m humbled and honored to be able to tell my Uncle Michael’s story,” he wrote on Instagram. “I’ll see you all soon, fans all over the world.”
As previously reported, Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) will direct Lionsgate’s biopic, which is set to begin production later this year.
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“Proud to announce @jaafarjackson as Michael — the motion picture event that explores the journey of the man who became the King of Pop,” the studio said. “Coming soon,” Fuqua promised.
The film will highlight Jackson’s musical accomplishments from his Jackson 5 days to becoming the world’s biggest pop star. It will also “deal squarely with the pedophile accusations that dogged his later years up to his death in 2009 at age 50,” according to Deadline.
Fuqua began his career directing music videos for Prince, Lil Wayne, and Toni Braxton, and is currently working on The Equalizer 3 with Denzel Washington.
“My first films were music videos, and I still feel that combining film and music is a deep part of who I am,” he says. “For me, there is no artist with the power, the charisma, and the sheer musical genius of Michael Jackson. I was inspired to make music videos after seeing his work – he was the first Black artist to have heavy rotation on MTV. His music and those images are part of my worldview, and the opportunity to tell his story alongside his music on the big screen was irresistible.”
