WASHINGTON: Jaafar Jackson is all set to play his uncle Michael Jackson in the upcoming biopic by Antoine Fuqua.
According to Variety, the tangled legacy of the guy who became known as the King of Pop will be portrayed in the biopic ‘Michael’.
The film will examine every facet of his life, including “including his most iconic performances that led him to become the greatest entertainer of all time.”
Variety reports that the Michael Jackson estate is collaborating with the movie, which might have an impact on how ‘Michael’ portrays the numerous accusations of child sexual abuse that were made against Jackson both during his career and after his passing.
Jackson had refuted the claims of sexually abusing children, and in 2003, a court ruled him not guilty of the charge. Jackson always maintained his innocence and passed away in 2009 at the age of 50, but the claims continue to cloud his legacy.
‘Michael’ will be the first major film role for Jaafar Jackson.
Variety reports that Jaafar is the second-youngest son of songwriter, producer and Jackson 5 member Jermaine Jackson, whose brother was Michael Jackson.
“Jaafar embodies my son. It’s so wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy of entertainers and performers,” the late singer’s mother Katherine Jackson told Variety.
Producer Graham King claims that the team conducted a global search before deciding on the actor who would play Jackson.
“I met Jaafar over two years ago and was blown away by the way he organically personifies the spirit and personality of Michael,” King said.
“It was something so powerful that even after conducting a worldwide search, it was clear that he is the only person to take on this role. I am beyond thrilled that he has come on board to portray his uncle and cannot wait for the world to see him on the big screen as Michael Jackson,” he added. (ANI)