EXCLUSIVE: Michael Jackson's nephew Jaafar Jackson is the spitting image of the King of Pop as he shows off dance moves while filming biopic Michael in Los Angeles

 

Jaafar Jackson was the spitting image of his uncle and King of Pop, Michael Jackson, as he kicked off the first day of filming for the upcoming biopic, Michael, in Los Angeles on Monday. 

 

The budding star, 27 - who was announced in January to be portraying the late singer - showed off his impeccable dance skills while rehearsing on set of the  project which should be released in 2025.

 

Jaafar donned a pair of black trousers that contained a gold stripe on the sides as well as a plain white shirt. He layered the look with a button up that was left unfastened. 

 

The ensemble was similar to an outfit the Smooth Criminal hitmaker had worn on stage while performing hits such as Man In The Mirror. 

 

The actor could be seen standing in front of a white back drop and stepped into the shoes of his uncle while rehearsing with an empty microphone stand before filming began.

 

 

 

 Jaafar Jackson, 27, was the spitting image of his uncle and King of Pop, Michael Jackson, as he kicked off the first day of filming for the upcoming biopic, Michael, in Los Angeles on Monday

The actor was seen arriving to the set donning a warm sweatshirt and black sweatpants before transforming into the Smooth Criminal hitmaker 

Jaafar was also seen arriving to the set sporting a casual ensemble that comprised of a teal sweatshirt as well as a pair of comfy, black sweatpants. 

 

He slipped into a pair of gray sneakers that were secured with laces and added black sunglasses to his look. 

 

Production on the movie was paused during the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, but has officially resumed. 

The premise of the biopic is slated to follow Jackson's entire life, such as his rise to fame with The Jackson Five and possibly the controversies he had faced as well - including child sexual abuse allegations in the 1990s. 

 

The star passed away at the age of 50 in Los Angeles due to cardiac arrest caused by a drug overdose. 

In January, Jaafar was revealed to have been cast as the leading role of Michael in the biopic, per Deadline, and at the time, jumped to his social media pages to express his excitement.

 

He shared a black and white image of himself wearing a similar outfit Jackson had worn in the past while striking a dance pose inside a studio.

 

'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,' he penned in the caption.

Jaafar donned a pair of black trousers that contained a gold stripe on the sides as well as a plain white shirt

 

 

The budding star showed off his impeccable dance skills while rehearsing on set of the anticipated project

The actor could be seen standing in front of a white back drop and stepped into the shoes of his uncle while rehearsing with an empty microphone stand

 

 

 

In January, the actor and singer was revealed to have been cast as the leading role of Michael in the biopic, per Deadline, and at the time, jumped to his social media pages to express his excitement

The premise of the biopic is slated to follow Jackson's entire life, such as his rise to fame with The Jackson Five and possibly the controversies he had faced as well

He slipped into a pair of gray sneakers that were secured with laces and added black sunglasses to his look while arriving to the set

Antoine Fuqua was confirmed to have been given the big role as the director on the film earlier this year in January 

That same month, Antoine Fuqua was confirmed to have been given the big role as the director on the film. He is known for working on other projects such as The Equalizer, The Terminal List, and also Southpaw. 

Fuqua is also working alongside Hollywood producer, Graham King, who has been involved with films including The Aviator, Bohemian Rhapsody, as well as The Departed.

In a statement, the filmmaker expressed his thrill to be a part of the project. 'The first films of my career were music videos, and I still feel that combining film and music are a deep part of who I am.'

'For me, there is no artist with the power, the charisma, and the sheer musical genius of Michael Jackson. I was influenced to make music videos by watching his work – the first Black artist to play in heavy rotation on MTV.'

He added, 'His music and those images are part of my worldview, and the chance to tell his story on the screen alongside his music was irresistible.'

Graham also had the chance to share his excitement as well in a statement of his own, per Deadline.

'I first met the Jackson family in 1981 and I’m humbled to bring their legacy to the big screen. Sitting at Dodger Stadium watching the Victory Tour, I could never have imagined that nearly 38 years later I would get the privilege to be a part of this film.'

Michael's mother, Katherine, also gave her blessing to the creation of the biopic that will depict her late son's life.

He shared a black and white image of himself wearing a similar outfit Jackson had worn in the past while striking a dance pose inside a studio

'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,' he penned in the caption

Fuqua is also working alongside Hollywood producer, Graham King, who has been involved with films including The Aviator, Bohemian Rhapsody, as well as The Departed

The director added, 'His music and those images are part of my worldview, and the chance to tell his story on the screen alongside his music was irresistible'

Michael's mother, Katherine, also gave her blessing to the creation of the biopic that will depict her late son's life

The upcoming Lionsgate film - which is being made with the help of Jackson's estate - does not have a set premiere date

Ever since Michael was little, as a member of The Jackson 5, he loved the magic of cinema. As a family, we are honored to have our life story come alive on the big screen.'

The upcoming Lionsgate film - which is being made with the help of Jackson's estate - does not have a set premiere date.

 

Last month in October, it was revealed that Universal garnered the international rights to the Michael biopic, per The Hollywood Reporter.   

Joe Drake from Lionsgate Motion Picture Group expressed in a statement, 'Michael's decades-long career left an indelible mark on the way audiences experience entertainment all over the world.' 

 

He added, 'We are thrilled to be partnering with our friends at Universal to give global audiences new insight into the complex life of one of the most prolific artists the world has ever known.' 

 

In August, director Antoine Fuqua, opened up about having the late singer's nephew take on the leading role in the film and stated Jaafar has an 'uncanny' resemblance to his late uncle. 

Joe Drake from Lionsgate Motion Picture Group expressed in a statement, 'Michael's decades-long career left an indelible mark on the way audiences experience entertainment all over the world'

In August, director Antoine Fuqua, opened up about having the late singer's nephew take on the leading role in the film and stated Jaafar has an 'uncanny' resemblance to his late uncle

He continued by admitting, 'It's really uncanny. Graham King, who is a fantastic producer, found him, and introduced him to me, and I was blown away'; Jaafar seen with La Toya Jackson in 2019 in Los Angeles 

 

'It's uncanny how much he's like Michael,' the filmmaker gushed to Entertainment Weekly. 'Sounds like him, dances like him, sings.'

 

He continued by admitting, 'It's really uncanny. Graham King, who is a fantastic producer, found him, and introduced him to me, and I was blown away.'

 

Jaafar is no stranger to the entertainment, and has been both singing and dancing since he was 12-years-old.

He is also the son of Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza and Jermaine Jackson - the brother of Michael who was also a member of The Jackson 5.