Michael Jackson Biopic Finds Its Main Star

Things look to be speeding forward for the Michael Jackson biopic. After the announcement that Antoine Fuqua will be taking the helm, we now have news on who would be playing the onscreen version of Jackson.

According to Deadline, Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s nephew, is going to be playing the role of the King of Pop. Jaafar is the son of Jermain Jackson, Michael’s brother, and a member of the Jackson 5.

Though some may think that the casting has nepotism written all over it, Jaafar has actually proven himself a performer, singing and dancing since age 12, and he has also released some original music where we can see him performing on the same vein as Michael. Check this out:

We don’t know how much the film will go in-depth on Jackson’s life, but seeing that MJ was known to be a powerhouse of a performer, Jaafar has some really huge shoes to fill. Not to mention, there’s also the huge elephant in the room when it comes to the story near the end of Michael’s life, what with the pedophile accusations and his death at age 50 from drug use.

With Hollywood currently going through a musical icon biopic phase with Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, Elvis, and I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Michael is just the next film expected to be a pop-culture blockbuster. We don’t know who else has a biopic down the line, but I’m expecting some 90s icons to get their due soon. Britney Spears biopic anyone? How about the Spice Girls?

So far, no release date has been announced for Michael.