Fans of Michael Jackson are sharing their excitement now that more details about the highly anticipated biopic of the late singer’s life are being revealed. Portrayed by his nephew Jaafar Jackson, the first look at the upcoming film promises viewers to see the uncanny resemblance between the legendary musician and the 27-year-old actor.
“With Jaafar, every look, every note, every dance move is Michael,” producer Graham King shared in a recent statement. “He embodies Michael in a way that no other actor could,” he added. The new look at the film shows Jaafar wearing Michael’s iconic 90’s look while performing on stage.
Director Antoine Fuqua also shared his thoughts about Jaafar playing the singer. “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,” he explained.
“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,“ Fuqua shared.
He previously said to Variety that after seeing Jaafar on set he noticed a “spiritual connection” when it came to portraying Michael. “There was such a spiritual connection when I first met Jaafar, who has a natural ability to emulate Michael and such a great chemistry with the camera,” he said.
The photographer for the film, Kevin Mazur, talked about his experience seeing Jaafar as Michael for the first time. “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 Jaafar perform, I thought, ‘Wow, it is Michael,‘“ he said. ”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.”