Michael Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson will play the King of Pop in an upcoming biopic called Michael, according to Deadline.
Jaafar is the son of Jermaine Jackson, Michael’s brother and a member of The Jackson 5.
The 26-year-old has been singing and dancing since he was 12, following in the footsteps of his famous family.
Michael died in 2009 at the age of 50, due to a cocktail of sedatives that caused him to go into cardiac arrest.
The biopic, which will be directed by Antoine Fuqua for Lionsgate, will be produced by GK Films and also by John Branca and John McClain, who are co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate.
Jaafar shared his gratitude for landing the role via his Twitter account, along with a black and white photo of himself dressed as his famous late uncle.
Keeping it in the family: Michael Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson will play the King of Pop in an upcoming biopic, according to Deadline.
Iconic: Jaafar shared his gratitude for landing the role via his Twitter account, along with a black and white photo of himself dressed as his famous late uncle.
Jaafar wrote: “I am humbled and humbled to bring my Uncle Michael’s story to life. To all the fans around the world, I’ll see you soon.
In the image, Jaafar was wearing an iconic Michael look: striped pants with a white T-shirt and a jacket, hat and shoes in his trademark pose.
Jaafar is the son of Jermaine Jackson and Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza.
Earlier this month, Antoine was announced as director for Lionsgate’s upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, which has been approved by the late pop star’s estate.
Family: The 26-year-old has been singing and dancing since he was 12, following in the footsteps of his famous family; he is the son of Jermaine Jackson and Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza; seen with Jermaine Jackson and his wife at the time Halima Rashid in 2009. his brother Jermajesty
Legendary family: Jaafar is the son of Jermaine Jackson and Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza; seen in 2014
Iconic: Earlier this month, Antoine was announced as director of Lionsgate’s upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, which has been approved by the late pop star’s estate; Michael seen in 1987
The 56-year-old filmmaker, best known for directing The Equalizer and Training Day film franchises, will work alongside Oscar-winning producer Graham King on the film, titled Michael.
“The first films of my career were music videos, and I still feel that combining film and music is a deep part of who I am,” the director said in a statement.
He continued: ‘To me, there is no artist with the power, charisma and sheer musical genius of Michael Jackson. I was influenced to make music videos by seeing his work: the first black artist to play on MTV.
“Her music and those images are part of my world view, and the opportunity to tell her story on screen alongside her music was irresistible,” enthused Fuqua.
Last February, Deadline reported that Lionsgate had acquired the distribution rights to the film, which was written by Gladiator writer John Logan.
In a statement, Lionsgate said the film will be “an in-depth portrait of a complicated man who became the King of Pop.”
Legends Never Die: In a statement, Lionsgate said the film will be “an in-depth portrait of a complicated man who became the King of Pop.”
It will bring Jackson’s most iconic performances to life as it provides an informed view of the artist’s artistic process and personal life.”
“Since Michael was little, as a member of The Jackson 5, he loved movie magic,” he said. “As a family, we are honored to have our life story brought to life on the big screen.”
Three-time Oscar nominee John Logan has penned the script, while Oscar-winning The Departed producer Graham King will produce with John Branca and John McClain, the co-executors of Michael Jackson’s estate, which will allow the project access to Jackson’s music.
King has 71 Oscar nominations to his name and received a Best Picture nomination for producing another recent musical biopic: 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
King explained that he is “honored” to bring the story to the screen nearly four decades after meeting the famous family.