Michael Jackson's nephew Jaafar Jackson was the spitting image of the King of Pop in the first official snapshot from the new biopic Michael.
Jaafar, 27, showed he had mastered his late uncle's signature dance moves as he posed on tiptoes while wearing a black hat, suit and white top.
The photo, taken in silhouette, was captioned before production: “The journey begins on Monday.”
Lionsgate has officially given the film a worldwide release date.
According to Deadline, “Michael” is scheduled to hit theaters in the U.S. on April 18, 2025, while Universal is handling distribution abroad.
Michael Jackson's nephew Jaafar Jackson was the spitting image of the King of Pop in the first official snapshot from the new biopic Michael
The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic “Michael,” which stars the King Of Pop’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, 27, as a music superstar, has a release date of April 18, 2025
Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, the biographical musical drama follows the life and four-decade career of Michael Jackson, one of eight Jackson children, five of whom formed the original pop sensation, the Jackson 5.
Logan, 62, has a long track record as a playwright and filmmaker, writing or co-writing films such as Gladiator (2000), The Aviator (2004), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street (2007), “Hugo” (2011) and the James Bond 007 films Skyfall (2012) and Specter (2015).
According to Lionsgate, the film will delve into all aspects of Michael's life, although it is unknown how or if the more scandalous controversies of his life, including child sexual abuse allegations, will be addressed, considering that the biopic was filmed in 2015 becomes connection with the singer's estate.
“Michael will give audiences a compelling and honest portrayal of the brilliant but complicated man who became the King of Pop,” the official synopsis reads.
“The film presents his triumphs and tragedies on an epic, cinematic scale – from his human side and personal struggles to his undeniable creative genius expressed in his most famous performances.”
“Like never before, audiences will get a glimpse into one of the most influential and groundbreaking artists the world has ever known.”
After production on the film was delayed last year due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, principal photography is now scheduled to begin on January 22nd.
Bohemian Rhapsody's Graham King is among the producers working on the project, which also includes John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate.
As shown in his Instagram photo post in January 2023 after landing the role of his late uncle, Jaafar, one of Jermaine Jackson's seven children, was seen in a dance studio working on moves that MJ has famously done for at least 20 years made last year.
“I am humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael’s story to life,” Jaafar wrote on Instagram on January 30, 2023. “To all the fans around the world, see you soon.”
According to Lionsgate, the film will delve into all aspects of Michael's life, although it is unknown how or if the more scandalous controversies of his life, including child sexual abuse allegations, will be addressed, considering that the biopic was filmed in 2015 becomes associated with the singer's estate; seen in 1986
The biopic's director, Antoine Fuqua, says the actor and singer “sounds” and “dances” like his uncle; Jaafar Jeremiah (pictured in 2012) is one of Jermaine Jackson's seven children
The singer and songwriter, who has been singing and dancing since the age of 12, is the son of former Jackson 5 member and solo artist Jermaine Jackson, 69.
“It's uncanny how much he looks like Michael…he sounds like him, dances like him, sings like him.” “It's really uncanny,” Fuqua said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
“Graham King, a fantastic producer, found him and introduced him to me and I was blown away.”
Fuqua is currently directing his third installment in The Equalizer series, starring Denzel Washington, for Sony Pictures.
His previous feature film, the Will Smith slavery drama “Emancipation,” was released by Apple in 2022.
Michael Jackson came into the spotlight as a child and was only six years old when he and his older siblings made their debut as the Jackson 5 in 1964.
Jackson released ten studio albums as a solo artist between 1972 and 2001, following the ten studio recordings he made between 1969 and 1975 as Jackson 5 and The Jacksons.
Jaafar is said to resemble his Uncle Michael in many ways, including his dance moves; Michael pictured in 1988
Jaafar showed off some of his MJ moves in a social media photo posted in January 2023, right after he landed the role
During his four-decade career, Michael's contributions to music, dance and fashion, as well as his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture.
With 32 million copies sold worldwide by the end of 1983, Jackson's Thriller was considered the best-selling studio album of all time and was ratified by Guinness World Records on February 7, 1984.
In the years since the 1980s, Thriller has established itself as the best-selling album of all time, with more than 70 million copies sold worldwide.