Biopics have been responsible for drawing crowds to theaters for decades. Recent examples are the Elton John movie “Rocketman”, “Bohemian Rhapsody” about Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”, which is about the life of Whitney Houston, or Baz Luhrman’s “Elvis”. As if that weren’t enough, as announced less than two weeks ago, there’s also a movie in development about Michael Jackson, arguably the greatest pop star of all time.
The film will be titled “Michael”. The director is “The Equalizer” creator Antoine Fuqua, while John Logan (“Aviatar”) is responsible for the screenplay. Graham King, who was also responsible for “Bohemian Rhapsody”, is on board as producer. Now it has also been announced who will play the role of the King Of Pop: Jafar Jackson. Michael Jackson’s cousin and Jermaine Jackson’s son. Jaafar Jackson, 26, will make his acting debut here and tweeted about the opportunity:
No superstar in the lead role
In a statement, Graham King stated: “I met Jaafar Jackson over two years ago and was blown away by the way he organically embodies Michael’s spirit and personality. It was something so powerful that even after a worldwide search, it was clear that he was the only person who could fill the role. I’m thrilled he’s come on board to play his uncle and can’t wait for the world to see him as Michael Jackson on the big screen.”
Director Antoine Fuqua is also enthusiastic: “It is incredibly exciting to see Jaafar bring Michael to life. When I first met Jaafar there was a spiritual connection who has a natural ability to mimic Michael and great chemistry with the camera.
It remains to be seen if Jaafar Jackson can really handle the prestigious role and if his performance not only does Michael Jackson justice but can also become one of the biggest Hollywood stars of the moment. In any case, it is a very interesting and ultimately perhaps absolutely obvious step. Not just because there’s a strong family connection, but also because you’ve just decided not to pick an A-League actor with whom you may already be connected in other roles. Filming of “Michael” is scheduled for 2023.