Lionsgate Studios announced today, Monday, that Jaffer Jackson, 26, the nephew of the late pop singer Michael Jackson, will play his uncle in the biographical film called “Michael”.
Lionsgate added in a statement that “Michael” is on a mission to explore “the complex man who became the King of Pop” and one of the most famous figures on the planet.
Icon of the world of music
He also explained that the film will deal with “all aspects” of his life and his most prominent performances, which set him on the path to becoming an “icon in the world of music.”
The film will be directed by Antoine Fuqua and produced by Graham King, who said Jafar Jackson had an innate ability to embody his uncle.
“It was clear that he was the only person qualified for the role,” King said in a press release.
Michael Jackson – Archyde.com
sexual assault charge
Lionsgate did not directly address one of the more controversial aspects of Jackson’s story, his trial for child sexual abuse in 2005.
That year, a California jury acquitted Jackson of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy.
Jackson was a childhood star with his family’s pop group, The Jackson 5, which launched him into a solo career that made him one of the most popular people of his time before his death in 2009 at the age of 50.