With Michael Jackson’s family heavily involved in the film, it looks like the Antoine Fuqua-directed film won’t address the more controversial aspects of the King of Pop’s life.
Michael Jackson continues to be one of the most popular artists in the world. His music, but also his life, aroused, arouses and will arouse great interest among millions of people around the world. Therefore, it was obvious that after the success of the musical biopics ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘Rocketman’ or ‘Elvis’ it was going to be the King of Pop’s turn. If they have taken time, of course, it is because of the controversies that surround a large part of his life, and because of recent years that are even darker than Elvis’s and dramatic than Freddie’s. The question was whether to make a biopic focusing on the most luminous parts of his figure, that is, on his life as an artist, or to deal with his problems with substances, his physical deformation due to operations and, of course, the accusations of pedophilia and child abuse.
Michael will be a reality, and it seems that the idea is the first option. After all, the film not only needs the singer’s fans to be profitable, it also requires his musical rights and the collaboration of his family to be carried out.
‘Michael’ release date: When is the Michael Jackson biopic released?
How long do we have to wait to see Michael Jackson’s biopic ‘Michael’ in theaters? This will be followed by the question of those who do not like to leave the house to When will the Michael Jackson biopic come to streaming? Well, let’s go little by little. ‘Michael’ still does not have a confirmed release date in theaters, much less on platforms. What we do know is that the movie is scheduled to be produced sometime in 2023. However, the month is not yet known. Right now it is in a state of pre-production, so it could start shooting in the summer, but it would not be unusual for everything to last until the end of the year.
Hopefully, ‘Michael’ could be ready for its premiere at some point in 2024.
‘Michael’: Team behind the Michael Jackson biopic
As reported Varietythe film based on the life of Michael Jackson will be produced by Lionsgate, and will be directed by Antoine Fuqua. We are talking about one of the best-known (and most recognized) African-American filmmakers in Hollywood for works such as ‘Training Day’, the ‘The Equalizer’ trilogy, the Netflix hit ‘Culpable’ or the recent Will Smith film ‘Towards Freedom’ . As you may have noticed, he is also a director with a predilection for having Denzel Washington, but there is still no news of him in this remake. The role of scripting the life of Michael Jackson will fall on the three-time Oscar nominee John Logan. In the same Variety exclusive, words from Joe Drake, President of Lionsgate, were collected about the choice of Fuqua:
Antoine is an insightful and powerful filmmaker, and we feel very lucky that he has chosen Michael as his next project. His visionary storytelling skills and his commitment to his craft will make Michael an unforgettable film.
The director himself did not hesitate to remember that, although he is known for his action thrillers, his first steps were in the video clip:
The first films of my career were music videos, and I still feel that combining film and music is a deep part of who I am. To me, there is no artist with the power, charisma, and sheer musical genius of Michael Jackson. I was influenced to make music videos by seeing his work: the first black artist to perform on MTV. His music and those images are part of my worldview, and the opportunity to tell his story on screen along with his music was irresistible.
However, we already know that what interests you most is who will be in front of the camera, and not behind.
‘Michael’ cast Who will play Michael Jackson?
Everything stays at home. In case anyone doubted from what point this biographical film about Jackson was being made, if it would be to extol him and clean up his image or would there be a critical aspect… Well, Jackson’s family has chosen that it is precisely a relative who is in charge of giving him life. The director himself has revealed that Jafar JacksonMichael’s nephew and son of Jermaine Jackson (as you can imagine, a member of the Jackson Five) will be in charge of interpreting the King of Pop. Although Jackson could be embodied by several actors throughout his life, either to represent his children’s version in the Jackson Five or its final version, the truth is that the weight will fall on Jaafar, at least throughout the adult stage (we assume, yes, that there will be a lot of makeup.
Singer and dancer since he was 12 years old, three years ago he released his first and for now only original single, ‘Got Me Singing’. Apparently, he has always looked in the mirror of his uncle and he already had both the tone of voice and the well-taught dance steps. Graham king, producer of the tape, talks about this choice:
I met Jaafar over two years ago and was blown away by the way he organically embodies Michael’s spirit and personality. It was such a powerful thing that even after conducting a worldwide search, it became clear that he is the only person to take on this role. I’m beyond thrilled that he’s attached to play his uncle and I can’t wait for the world to see him on the big screen as Michael Jackson.
The director of the tape himself has also boasted of the choice.
It’s incredibly exciting to see Jaafar bring Michael to life. There was a very spiritual connection when I met Jaafar, he has a natural ability to emulate Michael and great chemistry on camera.
‘Michael’ plot What will the movie tell about the life of Michael Jackson?
The first question regarding a biopic is whether it will focus on addressing the entire life (or as much as possible) of a character or will it focus on a specific moment. It seems that ‘Michael’ will be a full-fledged biopic. At least that’s how its official synopsis reads:
It will give audiences an in-depth and never-before-told portrait of the complicated man who became the King of Pop. The film will explore all aspects of Michael Jackson’s life, including his most iconic performances that led him to become the greatest entertainer. of all times.
Seeing that the synopsis mentions after “all aspects of life” in the performances and states without qualms that he was “the best artist of all time”, added to the inclusion of the Jackson family in the project, each time they move away plus doubts about whether or not the tape will deal with the most controversial aspects of the artist’s life. If he does, it seems, it will be to deny them.
‘Michael’ trailer: First images and trailers of Michael Jackson’s biopic
It is still early to have images of the shooting or of the film itself. It also remains for the trailer. For now we have to make do with the image of Jaafar Jackson as his uncle that Fuqua has shared on Instagram (you have it a little further up, in the cast section) or with watching the video of the only single by Michael’s nephew, and now the protagonist. of his biopic.
Source: Fotogramas
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
