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17 years after the death of Michael Jackson, the long-awaited biopic about the life of the King of Pop will hit theaters in April 2026. While the preparations and shooting for the film were certainly fraught with problems, it was already clear that Jaafar Jackson would slip into the mega star’s glittering costumes.
This makes “Michael” also a family affair, as Jaafar is Michael Jackson’s nephew. Nothing of him has been seen on the big screen yet, as the biopic is his first role. Jafaar Jackson was born on July 25, 1996 to Jermaine Jackson and Alejandra Genevieve, who is of Colombian descent.
Like almost everyone in his family, he was born with a musical talent. He began singing and dancing at the age of twelve. However, his first official release only came in 2019: the single “Got Me Singing”. He had previously covered songs by Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye. His musical role models include Bruno Mars and Stevie Wonder. Jaafar quickly made a name for himself on social media.
Jackson was also involved in his family’s projects, such as the TV series “The Jacksons: Next Generation” and a music video by Tito Jackson (“Love One Another”). Nevertheless, he was initially interested in becoming a professional golfer.
The “scandal” surrounding the stun gun
An incident in 2010 unintentionally brought him into the headlines. When Jaafar was about 13 years old, there was an investigation by police and child welfare authorities at his grandmother’s house in Encino, Los Angeles. Jaafar had ordered a stun gun online. According to media reports, he opened the package in the bathroom and tested the device on a piece of paper.
The incident led to security forces and child protection authorities being called in. No serious injuries were reported and the device was removed from the home. This was not classified as a criminal act, but the tabloid media immediately sensed a scandal and another case of a celebrity scion going overboard.
The fact that this has not been confirmed at all over the years and the almost uncanny resemblance to Michael Jackson (can be seen in… furious trailer) made Jaafar the first candidate for the biopic about the singer, which can certainly be understood as a subsequent attempt to save honor.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day”). Starring alongside Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson are Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson and Miles Teller as Jackson’s lawyer and advisor John Branca. Larenz Tate also took on roles as Motown founder Berry Gordy, Laura Harrier as music manager Suzanne de Passe and Kat Graham as Diana Ross.
Is there a second “Michael” film coming?
For a long time there were rumors that “Michael” would be released in two parts. Although there is still no official confirmation of this, the producers announced when the trailer was released, that there will be “even more ‘Michael’”.. Box office success, but also other reasons, may play a role in how the further material is handled.
The upcoming film will probably only show the early and middle years of the musician’s career. However, another biopic would inevitably have to confront the serious allegations of abuse that accompanied Jackson in the last years of his life.