Michael Jackson Movie Image — Jaafar Jackson Recreates His Uncle’s Moves

A crucial part of Michael Jackson‘s identity as a performer was his dance moves as seen when performing songs like “Thriller,” “Beat It,” and “Smooth Criminal.” In a first look at Antoine Fuqua‘s all-encompassing biopic about the pop star, Michael, his nephew Jaafar Jackson is recreating one of his many iconic poses. Dancing will only be a small piece of the film, which will chronicle the singer’s life from young pop icon to troubled superstar while leaving no stone unturned along the way.

The black-and-white shot shows Jackson in a studio as rays of light shine in from the large windows behind him. Although his face is obscured in the dim lighting, he’s seen performing Michael’s iconic toe stand as typically done in his performance of “Billie Jean.” With a hat, jacket, white shirt, black pants, and black shoes on, he appears as the spitting image of Jackson in his prime with the sunshine acting as his spotlight. There’s an almost foreboding feeling, however, as the darkness in the studio and obscurity around his figure tease the darker side of the pop sensation’s story.

Michael is a long-gestating project, initially beginning development in 2019 with Bohemian Rhapsody producer Graham King and writer John Logan before landing with Lionsgate. Fuqua was announced as the director last year and since then, he’s assured that the film won’t shy away from the most controversial aspects of Jackson’s character. Behind his larger-than-life, magnetic stage presence, Jackson endured abuse from his father at a young age while with The Jackson 5 and was a constant source of controversy in the public eye, particularly due to constant pedophilia accusations against him up to and after his death in 2009. Fuqua previously told Collider’s Steve Weintraub that he’ll give “the facts as I know it” and offer a full account of who the artist was behind the music in hopes of continuing discussion about his legacy.

‘Michael’ Has Its Young and Adult Stars in Place

Jaafar Jackson will only play one part of Michael‘s story, as Juliano Krue Valdi has been tapped to play the young version of the pop icon. Although Valdi is new to the world of film, he’s been practicing to play a young Michael for quite some time now. On his Instagram page, he’s accrued nearly 150,000 followers for his costumes and dances inspired by the late King of Pop. Taking the role to the big screen, however, will be a tall order for the newcomer. He’ll be tasked with depicting Jackson’s troubled childhood when he received regular whippings and emotional abuse while practicing for his performances. Valdi couldn’t be more excited about the challenge, though, saying in a statement:

“This opportunity is really important to me because Michael Jackson is the King of Pop, and he is very special in my heart. I’ve been dancing to his songs for five years now. He makes me feel really special and makes me feel good about myself. I love the energy of Michael Jackson.”

Michael is due out in theaters on April 18, 2025. In the meantime, stay tuned here at Collider for more information about the highly-anticipated biopic, and check out the first image of Jafaar Jackson as Michael above.