Copyright Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Michael Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson is playing the late pop star in the upcoming film Michael. The film has been in the works since 2019, and footage has finally become available in a recently released teaser trailer. In between shots of Jackson’s childhood, Jaafar brings his famous uncle to life in the trailer. Michael Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson is playing him in a new biopic Lionsgate recently released footage from Michael, the upcoming biopic about Jackson’s life. The trailer shows clips from Jackson’s childhood interspersed with some of his most iconic moments, including the making of the “Thriller” video. “Michael tells the story of Michael Jackson’s life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world,” reads the official synopsis, per Deadline. “Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before. This is where his story begins.” Alongside Jaafar Jackson, the film stars Coleman Domingo, Miles Teller, Nia Long, Larenz Tate, Kat Graham, and Quincy Jones. The Michael Jackson biopic is Jaafar Jackson’s screen acting debut Jaafar makes his onscreen debut in Michael. Director Antoine Fuqua said Jaafar perfectly embodies the pop star. “It’s uncanny how much he’s like Michael,” Fuqua said, per Entertainment Weekly. “Sounds like him, dances like him, sings. It’s really uncanny.” Jaafar is the son of Jackson’s older brother, Jermaine Jackson. He joined the cast of the film in 2023. “I met Jaafar over two years ago and was blown away by the way he organically personifies the spirit and personality of Michael,” said producer Graham King (via Us Weekly). “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.” Katherine Jackson, Michael’s mother, also said Jaafar has done a good job of depicting her son. Paris Jackson has criticized the film While the film has the backing of the Jackson estate, some members of the family are not on board with it. Paris Jackson, the singer’s daughter, criticized the project for being full of inaccuracies. “The thing about these biopics is, it’s Hollywood. It’s fantasyland. It’s not real. But it’s sold to you as real,” she said on her Instagram story. “The narrative is being controlled. And there’s a lot of inaccuracy and there’s a lot of just full-blown lies. At the end of the day, that doesn’t really fly with me.”
