Michael Jackson’s nephew to play Michael Jackson in upcoming biopic about late ‘King of Pop’

The Michael Jackson biopic, originally announced in 2019 and revealed as ‘Michael’, has finally cast a lead actor to play the late ‘King of Pop’. Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s nephew, has been confirmed to play his uncle in the biopic, which currently has no release date. The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer series) and is produced by Graham King, who previously directed the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.

The main cast announcement was made by Lionsgate, with producer Graham King saying “I met Jaafar over two years ago and was blown away by how organically he personifies the spirit and personality of Michael,” according to a report from SlashFilm. “I’m beyond thrilled he’s come to play his uncle and can’t wait for the world to see him on the big screen as Michael Jackson,” continued King, who produced 2018’s critical and commercial hit Bohemian Rhapsody. .

The announcement was confirmed by Jaafar Jackson himself in a Tweeter, which also features an image of the actor in costume. Jaafar is the 26-year-old son of Jermaine Jackson, Michael Jackson’s older brother, and his former bandmate on The Jackson 5, the singing group made up of members of the Jackson family.

The film will be directed by Antoine Fuqua and is said to have been made with the approval of Michael Jackson’s estate. This means the film will likely be able to use the late singer’s original music and footage as needed, but as Slashfilm’s report suggests, it could mean that many of the controversies surrounding Jackson and his career could be overlooked or understated. As of now, “Michael” doesn’t have a confirmed release date, but filming is expected to begin this year.