Jaafar Jackson on Playing His Uncle in ‘Michael,’ Losing the Original Third Act and the Upcoming Sequel: ‘My Job Is to Come Prepared’ — SkimNews
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- "Michael" became the first biopic in history to surpass $1 billion worldwide and Lionsgate's biggest release ever, opening April 24 under director Antoine Fuqua.
- Jaafar Jackson had never acted professionally before the role and spent two years preparing — building a personal archive of Michael's songs, demos, journals, and rehearsals, working with acting coach Angela Gibbs, and studying Stanislavski, Meisner, and Uta Hagen techniques.
- Jermaine Jackson watched the film for the first time at its Berlin premiere and called his son the next day, saying he couldn't tell him apart from his late brother.
- Jackson lost material from the original third act dealing with sensitive subject matter; that footage will never be released, though Jackson says the experience of filming it made him a better actor.
- Lionsgate's Adam Fogelson said production on a sequel could start at the end of this year or early next, targeting a 2027 or '28 release, though Jackson told Variety he hasn't been told anything concrete yet.
- Jackson just wrapped his second film, "Supermax," opposite Will Smith after 40 days of shooting in Australia — a role with no singing or dancing.
- Jackson is in an early best actor Oscar conversation alongside Ryan Gosling, Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon, and John Malkovich, in his first-ever awards campaign.
Why it matters: The film's $1 billion milestone makes it the first biopic ever to hit that mark and Lionsgate's biggest release, while complete newcomer Jaafar Jackson enters awards season alongside Oscar heavyweights like Ryan Gosling and Matt Damon. A sequel could begin production by early next year, and Jackson has already completed a second film with Will Smith.
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