Michael Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, is the spitting image of his late uncle in the latest look at the upcoming biopic Michael.
Director Antoine Fuqua shared a photo of the 27-year-old performer in costume and character as Michael on Wednesday, and the similarities are uncanny.
“Your first look at #MichaelMovie. Starring Jaafar Jackson – in theaters April 2025,” the director captioned the pic. “Photograph by the renowned photographer Kevin Mazur, who documented Michael’s final rehearsal, and is now the first to photograph Jaafar in character as Michael.”
Performing in a white V-neck shirt, white jacket and black pants, Jaafar looks just like Michael onstage during his Dangerous World Tour, which performed concerts in Europe, Asia and Latin America from 1992-93, was attended by 3,500,000 people, and grossed over $100 million.
Midway through the tour, Michael performed his iconic halftime show at Super Bowl XXVII, which means fans may get to see a recreation of that as well.
Jaafar posted the first photos of himself rehearsing for the role on Instagram last month, sharing, “I’m humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael’s story to life. To all the fans all over the world, I’ll see you soon.”
In an interview with EW, Fuqua said that so far he’s been “blown away” by Jaafar’s portrayal of his uncle. “It’s uncanny how much he’s like Michael. Sounds like him, dances like him, sings. It’s really uncanny,” he said.
A press release on the film states: “Michael will bring audiences a riveting and honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated man who became known worldwide as the King of Pop. The film presents his triumphs and tragedies on an epic, cinematic scale — from his human side and personal struggles to his undeniable creative genius, captured by his most iconic performances. As never before, audiences will experience an inside look into one of the most influential, trailblazing artists the world has ever known.”
The film also stars Colman Domingo as Michael’s father, Joe Jackson, and Nia Long as his mother, Katherine Jackson, as well as Miles Teller as his longtime manager, John Branca.
Michael is set for release on April 18, 2025.
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