Source: Kevin Mazur / Lionsgate
The first look at the film covering the life of Michael Jackson was released, featuring his nephew in a recreation of one of the star’s iconic looks.
On Tuesday (February 13), the team behind a highly-anticipated biographical film about the legendary singer Michael Jackson released the first official photograph which has everyone buzzing. The King of Pop is being portrayed by his nephew, Jafaar Jackson in the biopic, entitled Michael. The photo, taken by photographer Kevin Mazur, shows Jaffar wearing his uncle’s signature “Man In The Mirror” outfit which he sported during his Dangerous Tour which ran from 1991-1992.
“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,” Mazur said in a statement accompanying the first-look photo. “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 Jafaar 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.”
“With Jaafar, every look, every note, every dance move is Michael,” said producer Graham King in a statement. “He embodies Michael in a way that no other actor could.” Michael is being produced by the co-executors of the estate of Michael Jackson and King along with Jackson’s former lawyer John Branca, and John McClain in conjunction with Lionsgate Entertainment.
Michael had been gaining attraction already due to the cast, which brought on Jafaar to play Michael as an adult (Jafaar is the son of Jermaine Jackson) in addition to Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo as father Joe Jackson, Nia Long as mother Katherine Jackson, Miles Teller as Branca, and Juliano Krue Valdi as young Michael. “We have assembled an incredible team of artists for this project – hair and 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,” director Antoine Fuqua said in a statement.
