A little over a year ago, in January 2023, the name of the actor who was going to play the king of pop, Michael Jackson, in the next biopic of the artist, titled simply Michael. The chosen one: Jaafar Jackson, his nephew. “I am humbly honored to bring my Uncle Michael's story to life. To all of his followers around the world, I will see you soon,” the 27-year-old wrote at the time after the announcement, when he had recently released Instagram accountin which he already has more than 250,000 followers (so far he has only made two publications), and where it already appeared characterized as the interpreter of hits like Thriller and Billie Jean.
A year later, the first image of the film has been revealed, where Jaafar Jackson appears on stage, recreating one of the looks most recognizable of his uncle, belonging to the Dangerous Tour from 1992. “Image by renowned photographer Kevin Mazur, who documented Michael's final rehearsal and is now the first to photograph Jaafar in character as Michael,” wrote Antoine Fuqua, the film's director, on his Instagram account. Mazur followed Jackson's career, and was also responsible for capturing the final rehearsals for This Is It, which would end up being a monumental film-documentary-concert (all in one) by the artist, which was released in 2009, the year the singer died. To this day, it remains one of the highest-grossing documentaries of all time.
Singer and dancer, but not an actor, Jaafar Jackson took the role in Michael after a casting which lasted more than two years. “I met Jaafar more than two years ago and was impressed by the way he represents Michael's spirit and personality,” Graham King, co-producer of the film, explained in a statement, as he already was. Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), the film that told the life of Freddie Mercury, singer of Queen, and for which Rami Malek won the Oscar for best actor. “It was something so powerful that, even after searching around the world, it was clear that he was the only person capable of taking on this role. “I am beyond delighted that he has come on board the project to portray his uncle and I can't wait for the world to see him on the big screen as Michael Jackson,” added King. Michael Jackson's mother, and Jaafar's grandmother, Katherine Jackson, was summoned to have the last word in that casting and he gave his approval for his grandson to finally play his son. “Jaafar embodies my son. “It is wonderful to see him continue the Jackson legacy of artists and performers,” he said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
Michael, in addition to King, is produced by the two managers of Michael Jackson's estate, lawyer John Branca and music industry executive and friend of the artist, John McClain. In the direction, the aforementioned Antoine Fuqua, responsible for films such as Training Day (2001)The sun's tears (2003) or the saga of The protector. The film “will provide audiences with a fascinating and honest portrait of the brilliant but complicated man who became the king of pop,” according to the production company. “It presents his triumphs and tragedies on an epic cinematic scale, from his human side and his personal struggles to his undeniable creative genius, exemplified by his most iconic performances. “Like never before, audiences will experience an inside look at one of the most influential and pioneering artists the world has ever known.” The film, which will be released in the United States next April, will also feature Oscar nominee Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, the artist's father, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, and Miles Teller as John Branca.
Produced almost exclusively in a family way – the benefits of Michael Jackson's estate go to his heirs, including his three children – the film undoubtedly promises the light show that the artist displayed throughout his fruitful career. career, although in all likelihood it does not address the shadows that still hang over the pop star. The specter of child abuse accusations has hung over the icon for decades before he died of cardiac arrest. In 2005, Jackson was found not guilty of sexually abusing a child under 13, a crime for which he was investigated more than 10 years earlier, in 1993, in a case that was settled out of court. In August 2023, a panel of appeals judges considered that the lawsuits filed by Wade Robson and James Safechuck, alleged victims of the singer, should not have been dismissed in lower courts, reopening the case. Whether or not this issue will be addressed in the film is still a mystery until its release.
Be that as it may, the film industry confirms that it is experiencing a honeymoon with the music industry. In recent years, some of the biggest box office hits have been, precisely, films that portray, more or less faithfully and with better or worse results, the lives of music icons of the last century, such as the aforementioned Bohemian Rhapsodythe biographical film about Elvis, directed by Baz Luhrmann, which won the Golden Globe for its protagonist, Austin Butler or, with worse box office and critical results, Rocketman, about the life of Elton John. This year the film will also be released Back to Black, about Amy Winehouse. Get the popcorn and Spotify playlists ready.
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