Jaafar Jackson transforms into his late uncle Michael Jackson and sports King of Pop’s trademark military jacket while filming on set of upcoming biopic in downtown LA
Jaafar Jackson looked the spitting image of his uncle Michael Jackson on Saturday while filming the upcoming biopic Michael about the late musician.
The 27-year-old actor was seen on set in downtown Los Angeles wearing a navy blue military jacket with gold detailing, inspired by the King of Pop’s signature style.
He wore black cropped trousers with stripes down the sides, high socks and black loafers, just like the music icon – who died in 2009 at the age of 50 – always wore.
He also wore oversized aviator sunglasses as he transformed into his uncle to film the upcoming biopic titled Michael.
In recent weeks, Jaafar was also seen filming on set in Hayvenhurst, the Jackson complex in the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles, where Michael and much of his family lived from 1971.
Jaafar Jackson looked the spitting image of his uncle Michael Jackson on Saturday while filming the upcoming biopic about the late musician. The 27-year-old actor was spotted on set in downtown Los Angeles wearing a navy blue military jacket with gold detailing
His look was heavily inspired by the King of Pop’s signature style
During production on Saturday, he appeared to be filming a scene in which he greeted large numbers of fans while standing on top of a car in standstill traffic in downtown Los Angeles.
As many people flocked to him, Jaafar, who played Michael, was seen smiling and waving to the crowd.
The scene the dancer-turned-actor was filming appeared to take place sometime in the ’80s, based on his outfit, wig with longer hair, and the vintage cars assembled on the street.
Previously, he had seen scenes set in the 1970s, early in Michael’s career.
The upcoming biopic, set for release on April 18, 2025, stars Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson and Miles Teller as Michael’s lawyer and future executor John Branca.
The film is expected to cover much of Michael Jackson’s life, including allegations in the 1990s that he sexually abused children.
In 1993, he was accused of sexually abusing 13-year-old Jordan Chandler, whom he had befriended after renting a car from his stepfather.
Police investigated after Chandler told a psychiatrist that Jackson had abused him, although the investigation was dropped due to a perceived lack of evidence.
He wore black cropped trousers with stripes down the sides, high socks and black loafers, just like the music icon – who died in 2009 at the age of 50 – always wore. He also wore oversized aviator sunglasses as he transformed into his uncle to film the upcoming biopic titled Michael.
He also had his hair and makeup done in the late ’80s and early ’90s to look like Michael
During production on Saturday, he appeared to be filming a scene in which he greeted large numbers of fans while standing on top of a car in standstill traffic in downtown Los Angeles.
As many people flocked to him, Jaafar, who played Michael, was seen smiling and waving to the crowd
He was also seen blowing a kiss to those around him
The scene the dancer and actor was filming appeared to take place sometime in the ’80s, based on his outfit, longer hair wig, and the vintage cars assembled on the street.
Chandler’s family sued Jackson in September 1993 before reaching a settlement early the next year.
Afterwards, the family stopped cooperating with police, leading to the closure of the investigation, and Jackson was convinced he was innocent.
In March, Dan Reed, who directed the documentary Leaving Neverland about the child sex abuse allegations that haunted Jackson, called the upcoming biopic “surprisingly unfair” after reading a draft of the screenplay.
“You just see Jackson caring for children with childhood cancer, or dancing with a little girl in a wheelchair, or tucking several little boys, especially his nephews, into sleepovers,” Reed said. Variety.
“It feels like the makers of the film sat in a room with John Branca and just told them what to write.”
Also in March, Michael’s son Prince, 27, was spotted visiting the cast and crew during the early days of production on the set of the biopic.
The scene featured him standing on top of a parked car while filming a scene of Michael reaching the height of his fame.
He threw a peace sign at one point when the many extras playing tried to reach him or wave at him
He looked joyful as he transformed into and portrayed his uncle. At one point he was seen pointing to the crowd, smiling
Previously, Jaafar filmed scenes from Michael’s early career in the 1970s
The upcoming biopic will be released on April 18, 2025
The film is expected to cover much of Michael Jackson’s life, including allegations in the 1990s that he sexually abused children.
For the scene, a modern street in downtown Los Angeles was transformed into a time from decades past
According to Varietya source close to the production stated that in addition to Jaafar, at least one other member of the family is always on set every filming day.
In early February, Prince shared his excitement about the Antoine Fuqua-led project announced last year and expressed his support for his cousin taking on the role.
On Instagram, he had shared a photo of Jaafar recreating an iconic snapshot from Michael’s Dangerous World Tour in the ’90s, captured by photographer Kevin Mazur.
In his caption, he wrote, “Super excited to share with you the first look of #MichaelMovie starring my cousin @jaafarjackson! This project has provided so many special moments for me and everyone involved.’