Well, that didn’t take long. While it might seem that finding someone to play the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, in a biopic would take a long time, it has literally taken less than two weeks. Not only that, but he was right under the noses of the Jackson estate and director Antoine Fuqua.
Singer/songwriter Jaafar Jackson, son of Jermaine Jackson and Michael Jackson’s nephew, will star in Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic. To the best of my knowledge, this is Jaafar’s first major acting role, although he has appeared as himself on numerous reality shows. And of course, the Jackson gene pool is damn talented.
“It’s incredibly exciting to watch Jaafar bring Michael to life,” said Fuqua. “There was such a spiritual connection when I first met Jaafar, who has a natural ability to emulate Michael and such a great chemistry with the camera.”
This wouldn’t be happening without the approval of Michael’s mother, Katherine Jackson, who says, “Jaafar embodies my son. It’s so wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy of entertainers and performers.”
The film will be produced by Bohemian Rhapsody‘s Graham King, from a script by Oscar-nominated Gladiator writer John Logan. How deep the film will go into Jackson’s very-troubled life and career remains to be seen.
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