Jaafar, Michael Jackson's nephew, plays the King of Pop in a new biopic

The shoot of a new Michael Jackson biopic is scheduled to begin in 2023. The idea of the production is to portray the story of the artist's rise without forgetting the more sensitive issues, such as his controversial family life, plastic surgeries, and accusations.

In the photo, Jaafar Jackson and his aunt, LaToya Jackson.

The film will be directed by Antoine Fuqua (photo), with a script by John Logan, and the production by Graham King, who transformed the story of Freddie Mercury into the successful 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (2018).

According to an official statement from Lionsgate, the mother of Michael Jackson approved the project, saying that since he was a little boy, the singer had loved the magic of cinema. The family says it's honored to have its history on the big screen.

As opposed to the family, some experts on Michael Jackson's history have expressed their concerns about the film. They worry that the movie will downplay darker parts of the artist's life, such as his legal issues involving abuse allegations. Prominent among them is the director of the documentary 'Leaving Neverland,' Dan Reed.

The King of Pop will be played by Jaafar Jackson (right in the picture), Michael Jackson's nephew. The young man, born in 1996, is one of the seven children of Jermaine (center), Michael's brother and member of The Jackson 5.

The boy's grandmother, Katherine Jackson, spoke about her grandson's choice for the role. "Jaafar embodies my son. It’s so wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy of entertainers and performers," she declared.

Talent is something the Jacksons have often revealed early on. Jaafar started making music at the age of 12. In addition to composing, he has also made successful covers of classics with his distinctive and creative style.

Jaafar was chosen to play his uncle because he resembles him very much. In addition to having a voice reminiscent of Michael's, he also is a great dancer.

Although the young man has no experience as an actor, the producers reported that they selected him after carrying out a thorough casting procedure, evaluating people from all over the world.

In a press release, producer Graham King (pictured) said: "I met Jaafar over two years ago and was blown away by the way he organically personifies the spirit and personality of Michael. It was something so powerful that even after conducting a worldwide search, it was clear that he is the only person to take on this role."

He added: "I am beyond thrilled that he has come on board to portray his uncle and cannot wait for the world to see him on the big screen as Michael Jackson."

The director of the project, Antoine Fuqua (pictured), showed his enthusiasm on Instagram: "It’s incredibly exciting to watch Jaafar bring Michael to life. 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."

Jaafar has a song released on music platforms. It's called 'Got me Singing' and has more than 1.9 million plays on Spotify.

The music video for the single was recorded in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 2019. It is reminiscent of the video Michael Jackson once recorded for the song 'They Don't Really Care About Us' in 1996.

In Jaafar's video, he reproduces the choreography and the movements that became famous thanks to Michael Jackson.

Jaafar is a discreet person and not very active on social media. He recently created a profile on Instagram and got more than 140,000 followers within 24 hours.

His first post was a photo of himself (taken by his brother Jourdynn) in front of a mirror with the following caption: "I’m humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael’s story to life. To all the fans all over the world, I’ll see you soon."