The folks at Lionsgate have released a “first-look” photo of Jaafar Jackson playing his uncle Michael Jackson in the upcoming biopic that’s due out in theaters next year.
Jaafar, the son of Jermaine Jackson and Michael’s nephew, is depicted as the “Man in the Mirror” from the 1992-1993 Dangerous Tour.
The photo was taken by Kevin Mazur, one of the photographers who documented Michael over many years.
“When I arrived for my first day on the set of this movie, I was so excited – it was like the first time I went on tour to shoot Michael Jackson,” says Mazur. “When I walked onto the set, I felt like I’d gone back in time and I was walking into the stadium to shoot the tour. Seeing Jaafar perform, I thought, ‘Wow, it is Michael.’ The way he looks and acts, his mannerisms, everything – he’s Michael Jackson. For anyone who didn’t have the chance to see Michael perform live during his lifetime – this is how it was.”
Director Spike Lee spoke at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity about directing Jackson in the music video for Jackson’s song “They Don’t Care About Us.”
Lee says Jackson hated the term “music video” and always adamantly referred to them as “short films.”
“Michael” is currently in production and slated for release on April 18, 2025. Antoine Fuqua, who directed “Training Day” and the “Equalizer” films, is the director.
