Jaafar Jackson will portray his uncle and legendary pop star on screen
Michael Jackson in Brunei on July 16, 1996. PHOTO:
Michael Jackson’s story is coming to the big screen next year.
Lionsgate announced that the upcoming biopic Michael will hit theaters on April 18, 2025. The studio is releasing the movie domestically, and Universal is releasing the film internationally. The film will begin production on Jan. 22, reports Variety.
“Michael will bring audiences a riveting and honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated man who became the King of Pop,” reads the movie’s official synopsis. “The film presents his triumphs and tragedies on an epic, cinematic scale — from his human side and personal struggles to his undeniable creative genius, exemplified by his most iconic performances. As never before, audiences will experience an inside look into one of the most influential, trailblazing artists the world has ever known.”
Training Day’s Antoine Fuqua is directing the upcoming production, and Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, will star as the “Thriller” singer. Jaafar is the son of Michael’s older brother Jermaine Jackson. The screenplay was written by Gladiator’s John Logan.
“It’s uncanny how much [Jaafar is] like Michael,” Fuqua told Entertainment Weekly. “Sounds like him, dances like him, sings. It’s really uncanny. Graham King, who is a fantastic producer, found him, and introduced him to me, and I was blown away.”
Jaafar Jackson on September 14, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
Graham King will produce alongside John Branca and John McClain, the co-executors of Jackson‘s estate. The biographical movie is set to cover all aspects of the singer’s life. It is currently unknown whether the film will address Jackson’s controversies.
Child sexual abuse allegations were brought against Jackson towards the end of his life and after his death. Jackson died in 2009 at the age of 50.
In 2003, he was arrested on charges of child molestation, though he was acquitted of those charges in 2005. Jackson was accused of sexual abuse by two individuals after he died in 2013. The 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland revisited the allegations.
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Michael Jackson on his ‘Dangerous’ World Tour, on July 30, 1992.
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More recently, Jackson’s life has been adapted for the stage. On Feb. 1, 2022, MJ: The Musical premiered on Broadway and chronicles the Bad singer’s creative process, focusing on the singer’s preparation for his 1992 Dangerous World Tour. The show was written by Lynn Nottage, and directed and choreographed by Tony winner, Christopher Wheeldon.
The show scored four Tony Awards in 2022 — including best leading actor in a musical to Myles Frost, best choreography to Wheeldon, best lighting design and best sound design.
