(CNN) — Jaafar, a nephew of Michael Jackson, will play his uncle in a biopic about the pop star, studio Lionsgate announced Monday.
Jaafar, 26, is the son of Jermaine Jackson, and said on Twitter that he was “honored” to bring his uncle’s story to life.
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.
Photo by Jourdynn Jackson pic.twitter.com/Xow9Mkakup
— Jaafar Jackson (@JaafarJackson) January 30, 2023
The film, titled “Michael,” is being made with the cooperation of Jackson’s family and estate legal fund, and will offer “audiences an in-depth portrait of the man and brother who became the King of Pop,” he said. a statement from the Jackson family in February of last year.
Production on the film, which will be directed by Antoine Fuqua, produced by “Bohemian Rhapsody”‘s Graham King and written by three-time Oscar nominee John Logan, will begin this year. CNN has reached out to Lionsgate for more details.
The Jackson family expressed their support for the casting choice, with Michael’s son Prince saying that Jaafar largely “embodies” his father.
“I honestly couldn’t be happier and prouder for him, he’s been working hard and I know he’s going to do an amazing job,” Prince wrote on Instagram. “I am sure that we will all do everything we can to show the world a part of my father that they have never seen and deserve to see.”
Jackson, whose hits include “Thriller,” “Smooth Criminal” and “Billie Jean,” died in 2009 at age 50.
His legacy has been marred by a series of child sexual abuse allegations and a 2019 documentary “Leaving Neverland,” in which two men claimed to have been sexually abused by Jackson over a period of several years when they were children.
Jackson’s family and Jackson’s fund deny the allegations and defend previous sworn testimony from the film’s stars that Jackson had not abused them.
