The mere mention of Michael Jackson’s name justifiably brings up complicated feelings for a lot of people. A biopic about the late pop superstar isn’t necessarily a bad idea, but given the involvement of Jackson’s estate, it’s hard to imagine a version of this movie that doesn’t gloss over the darker parts of his life.
Antoine Fuqua (The Equalizer, Training Day) is directing the Michael Jackson biopic, titled Michael, based on a script by Oscar-winning screenwriter John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator). Following his own nomination for Best Actor in Rustin, Colman Domingo recently joined the cast alongside Nia Long as Michael’s parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson. Deadline reports that Miles Teller has signed on to play John Branca, who worked as Jackson’s attorney throughout much of his career.
Jaafar Jackson, real-life nephew of the late King of Pop, will portray Michael Jackson in the biopic, which tracks the life of the singer from performing alongside his siblings in the Jackson 5 to his wildly successful solo career.
Michael notably has the cooperation of Jackson’s estate, which gives Fuqua access to Jackson’s music catalog, but it also means that the surviving family members (and their legal reps) have a say in how the singer is depicted—which may affect the extent to which Michael explores the more upsetting parts of his career. That includes his struggles with substance abuse and the allegations that Jackson groomed and sexually abused children. Those allegations were covered extensively in the two-part HBO documentary Leaving Neverland.
Production is currently underway on Michael, which is set for release on April 18, 2025.
(featured image: Kevin Mazur, WireImage)
