Our First Look At The Michael Jackson Biopic Is Nothing Short Of Eerie
We have our first look at the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, simply titled "Michael." It is, in a word, eerie. The film features the late pop star's nephew, Jaafar Jackson, in the lead role, and this first-look image recreates the legendary performance of "Man in the Mirror" from the Dangerous Tour in the early '90s. That imagery has burned its way into the collective memory of pop culture, and the recreation here is downright spot-on.
Admittedly, it's just a photo, but it's an impressive one at that. It looks like the genuine article, from the look of Jackson to everything else in the frame. The photo was taken by Kevin Mazur. He was one of the photographers who documented Michael over many years, capturing rehearsals for Jackson's "This Is It" concerts, which were eventually turned into a documentary. Mazur had this to say about capturing Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson:
"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. 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."
As you would expect, producer Graham King was rather complimentary of the film's star as well, saying, "With Jaafar, every look, every note, every dance move is Michael. He embodies Michael in a way that no other actor could."
Michael Jackson gets the Bohemian Rhapsody treatment
King was one of the key producers behind the Queen biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody," and it clearly seems like he's trying to capture that same magic here. While that movie was not everyone's cup of tea, it did make a stunning $910 million worldwide, making it one of the biggest non-franchise films in history. And given that Michael Jackson is among the most popular recording artists of all time, one can only imagine the potential that exists here.
Granted, the story is tricky to navigate. Jackson's life was filled with ugly corners, from his childhood to later on in life when he was accused of criminally inappropriate behavior with children, much of which was covered in the 2019 documentary "Leaving Neverland." The question is, will director Antoine Fuqua embrace the singer's full history? Or will the project have more of a rose-colored glasses tint? Fuqua, for his part, had this to say about it:
"We have assembled an incredible team of artists for this project – hair & makeup, costumes, cinematography, choreography, lighting, everything – and some who knew and worked with Michael are reuniting for this film. But most importantly, it's Jaafar who embodies Michael. It goes beyond the physical resemblance. It's Michael's spirit that comes through in a magical way. You have to experience it to believe it."
Lionsgate and Universal Pictures are set to release "Michael" in theaters on April 18, 2025.