Michael Jackson's nephew Jafaar Jackson to play him in biopic

Michael Jackson's 26-year-old nephew has confirmed helium volition represent the vocalist successful a caller big-screen biopic.

Jaafar Jackson's show successful the film, titled simply Michael, volition people his archetypal large movie role.

Announcing the quality connected societal media, the young histrion said helium was "humbled and honoured" to person been cast.

Jaafar is the second-youngest lad of songwriter and Jackson 5 subordinate Jermaine Jackson, Michael's older brother.

Michael volition go the latest successful a drawstring of big-screen philharmonic biopics, pursuing the merchandise of movies which person charted the careers of Whitney Houston, Elvis Presley, Queen and Elton John.

The movie is being made with the practice of the Michael Jackson estate. It is unclear whether oregon not it volition notation allegations of kid intersexual maltreatment which were made against Jackson during his beingness and aft his death.

Jackson ever maintained his innocence, and was recovered not blameworthy of kid molestation successful 2005.

Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine Jackson, said: "Jaafar embodies my son. It's truthful fantastic to spot him transportation connected the Jackson bequest of entertainers and performers."

Antoine Fuqua, who helmed Training Day and Emancipation, Will Smith's caller movie for Apple, volition nonstop the biopic.

Michael Jackson is 1 of the astir well-known singers successful euphony history, from shooting to fame with his household set the Jackson 5 to becoming 1 of the astir palmy artists of each time.

His astir fashionable solo singles see Billie Jean, Smooth Criminal, Beat It, Bad and Rock With You, portion Thriller remains the best-selling medium ever.

Fuqua said Michael "explores the travel of the antheral who became the King of Pop", portion the film's studio, Lionsgate, said it would see "his astir iconic performances that led him to go the top entertainer of each time".

One of the producers of the caller movie is Graham King, who besides produced the Oscar-winning Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.

King said the squad down the movie had searched wide for an histrion to play Jackson, earlier yet settling connected Jaafar.

"I met Jaafar implicit 2 years agone and was blown distant by the mode helium organically personifies the tone and property of Michael," King said.

"It was thing truthful almighty that adjacent aft conducting a worldwide search, it was wide that helium is the lone idiosyncratic to instrumentality connected this role."

The screenplay for Michael volition beryllium written by John Logan, who besides wrote Gladiator, The Aviator and the James Bond films Skyfall and Spectre.