Michael Jackson fans had something fun happen recently. The first image from the forthcoming biopic, Michael, was released, giving a glimpse of the late icon’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, playing him.
The film’s star, Jaafar Jackson, released the photo (below) on his Instagram page Friday.
The black-and-white shot from the biopic shows Jaafar Jackson performing the music icon’s signature, gravity-defying, toe-standing move while wearing a black fedora. The actor is also the singer’s nephew.
The project is directed by Antoine Fuqua (The Equalizer franchise) and written by John Logan (Gladiator), with a producing team that includes Graham King (Bohemian Rhapsody).
Jafaar Jackson wrote, “The Journey Starts Monday,” referring to the film beginning production.
The studio has said the biopic will cover all aspects of Michael Jackson’s life, which presumably means it will address the child sexual assault allegations that have been made against the singer, who died in 2009.
The disturbing allegations were documented in the 2019 HBO docuseries Leaving Neverland. The documentary details two long-running relationships Michael Jackson began at the height of his stardom with two boys, who were 7 and 10 at the time, and their families. In the doc, the now-grown men tell the story of how they were sexually abused by the singer.
The biopic’s official description reads: “Michael will bring audiences a riveting and honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated man who became the King of Pop. The film presents his triumphs and tragedies on an epic, cinematic scale — from his human side and personal struggles to his undeniable creative genius, exemplified by his most iconic performances. As never before, audiences will experience an inside look into one of the most influential, trailblazing artists the world has ever known.”
Michael will be released April 18, 2025.
