1 Feb - After Antoine Fuqua was announced as the director of the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, it was revealed that the King of Pop's own nephew has been cast as him. Fuqua confirmed the news on social media on 30 January, sharing a photo of Jaafar Jackson, son of Michael's older brother Jermaine, learning the pop star's moves in a studio. "Proud to announce [Jaafar Jackson] as Michael - the motion picture event that explores the journey of the man who became the King of Pop. Coming soon," he posted.
Meanwhile, the official Instagram page of The Jacksons also posted a similar photo and wrote, "What better person to portray our brother Michael than our endlessly talented nephew Jaafar Jackson?! We are so proud and very excited for the world to see what we've seen for many years!" Jaafar Jackson, himself a singer who has a similar sounding voice to his uncle, stated that he is humbled and honoured to bring Michael Jackson's story to life. Fuqua will focus on the project after finishing "The Equalizer 3" with Denzel Washington in Italy.