A first glimpse at the highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic is here. Lionsgate has released an image from the upcoming film, “Michael,” re-creating an iconic moment from the King of Pop’s “Dangerous” tour.
Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, is playing his late uncle in the movie from filmmaker Antoine Fuqua, as theGrio previously reported. In the first glimpse at Jaafar’s work in the film, the photo captures the young actor in Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” look from his 1992-93 world tour in support of his album “Dangerous,” per Variety.
The photo was taken by Kevin Mazur, a photographer who spent a lot of time photographing Michael Jackson throughout his long career and even during “This is It” rehearsals. As producer Graham King noted in a statement in the Variety article: “With Jaafar, every look, every note, every dance move is Michael. He embodies Michael in a way that no other actor could.”
Colman Domingo joins “Michael” as Joe Jackson, the infamous Jackson family patriarch, alongside Nia Long, who’s portraying mother Katherine Jackson, and Juliano Krue Valdi as young Michael.
Per the official synopsis, Fuqua’s “Michael” movie offer “a riveting and honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated man who became the King of Pop. The film presents his triumphs and tragedies on an epic, cinematic scale — from his human side and personal struggles to his undeniable creative genius, exemplified by his most iconic performances. As never before, audiences will experience an inside look into one of the most influential, trailblazing artists the world has ever known.”
“Michael” is currently in production, with a release date set for April 18, 2025.
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