Michael Jackson's Nephew Jaafar Jackson Is 'Humbled' To Play King Of Pop In Biopic

The upcoming Lionsgate biopic "Michael," centered on the inspiring life of the late Michael Jackson, will star his nephew Jaafar Jackson as the lead character.

Jaafar, like the entire O.G. Jackson family of five, is an entertainer with laudable singing skills and the sixth son of Jermaine Jackson, Michael's older brother. "Michael" will mark the young star's acting debut, and he feels beyond grateful to portray his legendary uncle and looking forward to bringing the role to life.

The 26-year-old recently expressed how honored he felt to star as his uncle, Michael, in the new movie directed by the acclaimed Antoine Fuqua and co-produced by Graham King.   

In an Instagram post featuring a black and white picture of himself captured in a dancing position similar to the late pop star's moves, he wrote, "I'm humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael's story to life. To all the fans all over the world, I'll see you soon." 

Jaafar could be seen in what looked like a studio, close to a large mirror, and dressed in a typical Michael fashion; ankle-length slacks, a vest underneath a jacket, a hat, white socks, and black dress shoes. He credited Jourdynn Jackson for taking the shot and tagged him alongside Lionsgate, Fuqua, and GK Films.

The post gained over 60k likes and thousands of comments, including gushing remarks from his family members like Taryl Jackson and TJ Jackson.

Taryl commented, "You're going to be great!" adding several emojis and hashtags indicating his love and honoring Michael's memory. In contrast, TJ wrote a longer message: "I'm so proud of you, Jaafar. Words can't express… you got it…. You are truly the only one who can do it right. – LET'S GO!"

Several other fans flooded the comments with congratulatory remarks, with a couple using words and others opting for emojis.

"My brother," one commenter penned. "What an honor, and can't think of anyone more deserving than you. Destined for greatness." Another exclaimed, "This is such a good and wonderful choice for such a huge role. I'm sure you'll honor your uncle in the best way possible. Go, Jaafar!"

At the same time, a fan commended Jaafar's casting, saying, "Who the heck can complain with this casting? An actual JACKSON playing Mike :) Fantastic decision :)"

The film's director Fuqua shares similar opinions about the Hollywood star as he admitted to Variety that "it's incredibly exciting to watch Jaafar bring Michael to life." He also spoke of the "spiritual connection" he felt when he first met the younger Jackson, who had "a great chemistry with the camera" and "a natural ability to emulate Michael."

Following a global casting search, Jaafar was chosen for the role, described by King — "Bohemian Rhapsody" producer and "Michael" co-producer — as clearly "the only person to take on this role."

The reputable producer and Jaafar met over two years ago, during which King was "blown away" by the young icon's outstanding representation of his late uncle and anticipated the world witnessing such magnificence.

Although "Michael" may be Jaafar's first gig as an actor, he is quite the singer and dancer. Beginning when he was 12, Jaafar has shown himself portraying artists like Sam Cooke to Marvin Gaye. In addition, he released his first single, "Got Me Singing," in 2019 alongside a music video and has appeared in several other family-focused projects over the years, indicating that he is no stranger to the screen.

The upcoming "Michael," with no release date in view, appears to have just the perfect team behind it, including Fuqua and King, both known for their unmatched prowess in filmmaking.

As The Blast reported, the script is written by John Logan, known for his collaboration with Martin Scorcese on "Aviator" and working with Sam Mendes on two films from the James Bond franchise, "Skyfall" and "007 Spectre."

Although fans are excited to see the new project, critics may not be so thrilled given that King's work on "Bohemian Rhapsody" did not show the bad side of Freddie Mercury's life, implying that Michael may be similar. 

Nevertheless, it is sure to be a must-watch as it narrates the iconic parts of Michael's life that led to his worldwide prominence, while filming is expected to begin sometime in 2024 or 2025.