Michael Jackson’s nephew cast as ‘King of Pop’ in upcoming biopic

Originally announced in 2019, the Michael Jackson biopic titled “Michael” has finally cast a lead actor to play the late “King of Pop.” Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s nephew, has been confirmed to play his uncle in the biopic, which currently has no release date. The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer Series) and produced by Graham King, who previously directed Freddie Mercury’s biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.

The lead casting announcement was made through Lionsgate, with producer Graham King saying, “I met Jaafar over two years ago and was blown away by the way he organically embodies the spirit and personality of Michael,” says a report by SlashFilm. “I’m over the moon that he came on board to play his uncle and can’t wait for the world to see him as Michael Jackson on the big screen,” continued King, who premiered the 2018 critical and commercial success “Bohemian Rhapsody” produced.

The announcement was confirmed in one by Jaafar Jackson himself tweet, which also includes a picture of the actor in costume. Jaafar is the 26-year-old son of Jermaine Jackson, Michael Jackson’s older brother, and his former bandmate with The Jackson 5, the singing group made up of members of the Jackson family.

The film is being directed by Antoine Fuqua and is reportedly being made with the approval of Michael Jackson’s estate. That means the film can likely use the late singer’s original music and footage as needed, but as the Slashfilm report suggests, that could mean many of the controversies surrounding Jackson and his career could be glossed over or downplayed. As of now, “Michael” doesn’t have a confirmed release date, but filming is expected to begin later this year.