Los Angeles (USA), 30 Jan.
Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s nephew, will star in the biopic about the King of Pop titled “Michael” that Lionsgate is currently working on, the film studio announced in a statement on Monday.
“I met Jaafar over two years ago and was blown away by the way he embodies Michael’s spirit and personality,” said biopic co-producer Graham King, who played the same role on the film “Bohemian Rhapsody.” “, about the star Freddie Mercury of the band Queen.
Jaafar Jackson is the second youngest son of Jermaine Jackson, brother of Michael Jackson and a songwriter, producer and member of the iconic Jackson 5 group.
“It’s wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy of artists and performers,” Katherine Jackson, mother of Michael Jackson, said in the same statement.
Filmmaker Antoine Faqua (“The Equalizer 2”), who most recently served as a producer on “Bullet Train,” will serve as director of the biopic “Michael,” which is expected to begin shooting in 2023.
Faqua agreed with King’s view, adding that Jaafar has a “natural ability” to emulate Michael and “tremendous chemistry in front of the camera.”
Together with King, the film that will portray the legacy of Michael Jackson will be co-produced by John Branca and John McClain. John Logan, who wrote “Gladiator”, will be in charge of the script for this film.
“Michael” will delve into the legacy of the superstar who died in 2009 at the age of 50 from cardiac arrest through some of her most iconic recreations.
With 13 Grammy Awards to his credit and more than 750 million records sold in his lifetime, the creator of “Thriller” remains one of the greatest figures in pop music of all time.
However, the specter of accusations of abuse against minors has hovered over the icon for decades before his death.
In 2005 he was found not guilty of sexually abusing a child under 13 years of age. A crime for which he was investigated more than ten years earlier, in 1993, in a case that was resolved with an actor out of court.
Other alleged victims told the versions of him in the docuseries “Leaving Neverland” (2019).
The film is being shot with the financial collaboration of Michael Jackson’s family, which, according to the specialized press, may influence the way in which “Michael” represents the accusations of sexual abuse.
The Michael Jackson biopic will begin shooting the same year that the Baz Luhrmann-directed Elvis biopic garnered eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Austin Butler’s role as the American. “King of Rock”.