One of Lionsgate’s biggest fears is that they were not going to be able to find an actor to play Michael Jackson in the Michael biopic. That is, until they were introduced to Jaafar Jackson.
To celebrate the at-home release of the film – now the highest grossing music biopic of all time – Rolling Stone AU/NZ can share an exclusive clip of the cast and crew talking about the journey to finding who would portray the King of Pop on screen.
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“If everything else falls into place, it’s never gonna matter if people don’t believe this is actually Michael Jackson,” executive producer Lydia Silverman said.
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Producer Graham King – the Oscar-winning producer behind Bohemian Rhapsody – added: “When I was talking to people in Hollywood about it – how are you gonna find him? Oh, we’ll find him, but then I’d get in my car and go, ‘I don’t know how we’re gonna do this.’
As Jackson revealed, he knew that the producers had the rights to the Michael Jackson story when he agreed to meet King for lunch, but there was no director or studio attached at the time.
“He thought I was auditioning for him in that lunch, and I was completely being myself,” Jackson shared.
King said: “It sounds crazy, but it kind of shook my whole being. This can’t be true. I’ve just met the perfect person to play Michael Jackson.”
Fans purchasing Michael through select retailers will also gain access to more than 60 minutes of bonus content, including behind-the-scenes featurettes exploring the making of the movie, Jackson’s transformation into his uncle, and the recreation of some of Michael Jackson’s most iconic performances.
Among the extras is Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough: The Making of Michael, which follows the film’s journey from concept to screen, while Home Is Where His Heart Is: Behind the Gates of Hayvenhurst offers a tour through the Jackson family home where Michael recorded demos for some of his best-known songs.
