After it was reported last week that Fuqua was helming the project, we knew it wouldn’t be long until we found out who would step into the shoes of the King of Pop.
Deadline has now reported that the role has been filled by Micheal Jackson’s real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson. Jaafar is the son of Jermaine Jackson, who was Michael Jackson’s brother and a member of The Jackson 5.
Jaafar has certainly proved his worth; he has been singing and dancing since the age of 12, but this will be his big breakthrough. You can see Jaafar’s ability to sing and dance in the below video, posted on his Youtube channel.
La Toya Jackson (L) and Jaafar Jackson arrive for the Face Forward International 10th Annual Gala “Highlands To The Hills” on September 14, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images)
The film will be penned by John Logan and is reportedly titled Michael. Graham King will produce the film and Lionsgate will distribute it.
While it was reported that the film would cover all aspects of Jackson’s life, it remains to be seen just how closely it will look at the various controversies it also entailed. Notably, Jackson was accused of paedophilia in his later years and died from a cardiac arrest caused by fatal mix of sedatives.
Jackson’s estate are supporting the film so they might very well be quite protective over the ‘Thriller’ singer’s image.
There is no release date for Michael, but it’ll be a while considering Fuqua is busy directing The Equalizer 3 with Denzel Washington currently. Production is still expected to begin later this year.
