Michael Star Nia Long Reveals the Real Reason Jafaar Jackson Was the Perfect Choice to Play the King of Pop

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More than ten years after Michael Jackson’s death, a new movie tells the story of his life. His nephew, Jaafar Jackson, plays Michael in the film.

Jaafar Has the Signature Jackson Trait

Long shared that someone recently asked him what it was like working with Jafaar Jackson. He replied that working with Jafaar reinforced his belief that everyone in the Jackson family possesses a genuine kindness and warmth.

I’ve known about this for a long time, going all the way back to Janet and your family history. I’ve even met your grandfather! It’s clearly a family trait – it’s amazing to see how genuine it is, and it really does seem to be in your genes.

Jackson agreed, saying you’d notice a similar gentle quality when you met his family. Of course, he also inherited good looks and a family resemblance.

I was so excited to hear Jaafar was cast, and it turns out I wasn’t the only one! Apparently, Jermaine Jackson’s son—Michael’s nephew—even got a thumbs-up from Katherine Jackson herself, which is amazing to hear.

Katherine Jackson shared with Rolling Stone in 2023 that Jaafar reminds her of her son. She expressed her joy at seeing him continue the family’s tradition of performing and entertaining.

She shared that Michael had a lifelong love of movies, starting when he was a child with the Jackson 5. Her family is thrilled to see their story told in a film.

Michael Is Off to a Rough Start

For over seven years, a movie about Michael Jackson’s life has been in development, starting when Graham King obtained the rights to his story. Antoine Fuqua directed the film, based on a script by John Logan. However, reviews suggest the movie focuses more on Michael’s popular songs and performances than on his personal difficulties.

from critics, which has since slightly improved to a still-disappointing 33% out of 79 reviews.

The movie’s large budget – somewhere between $155 and $200 million – puts a lot of pressure on its success. To break even, considering marketing and distribution, it likely needs to earn over $390 million at the box office, and potentially over $500 million if costs are higher. This is a concern for the upcoming biopic.

The new movie Michael features a talented cast including Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, Miles Teller as John Branca, and Jamal R. Henderson as Jermaine Jackson. Tre Horton plays Marlon Jackson, Rhyan Hill is Tito Jackson, Joseph David-Jones portrays Jackie Jackson, and Jessica Sula plays La Toya Jackson.

Michael premieres in theaters on Apr. 24. Get tickets through here.

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2026-04-21 22:43