Jaafar Jackson Mirrors King Of Pop In ‘Michael’ Biopic First Look

The first official photo from the pending Michael Jackson biopic features lead actor Jaafar Jackson mirroring The King of Pop.

Released by Lionsgate on Tuesday (Feb. 13), the image highlights Jaafar Jackson, the Thriller performer’s real-life nephew, in full Michael Jackson mode.

Singing into a microphone with curly hair and bright lights in the photo, the 27-year-old wears Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” look from his Dangerous Tour from 1992-93. According to Variety, Kevin Mazur, the photographer on-set to capture the moment, also photographed Michael Jackson throughout his career including, This Is It.

“With Jaafar, every look, every note, every dance move is Michael,” expressed producer Graham King. “He embodies Michael in a way that no other actor could.”

Michael is due in theaters on April 18, 2025, and will feature Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson and Nia Long as Katherine Jackson. Details of the project were revealed in 2022, with the support of the Jackon Estate. Acclaimed filmmaker Antoine Fuqua was announced as director in 2023.

“The first films of my career were music videos, and I still feel that combining film and music are a deep part of who I am. For me, there is no artist with the power, the charisma, and the sheer musical genius of Michael Jackson,” explained Fuqua in a statement.

“I was influenced to make music videos by watching his work—the first Black artist to play in heavy rotation on MTV. His music and those images are part of my worldview, and the chance to tell his story on the screen alongside his music was irresistible.”

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