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Michael Jackson’s Nephew to Star in King of Pop Biopic

Jaafar Jackson appears during the "Living with The Jacksons" panel at the Reelz Channel 2014 Summer TCA in Beverly Hills, Calif., on July 12, 2014, left, and Michael Jackson appears at the American Cinema Award gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 9, 1987. (AP)
Jaafar Jackson appears during the "Living with The Jacksons" panel at the Reelz Channel 2014 Summer TCA in Beverly Hills, Calif., on July 12, 2014, left, and Michael Jackson appears at the American Cinema Award gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 9, 1987. (AP)
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Michael Jackson’s Nephew to Star in King of Pop Biopic

Jaafar Jackson appears during the "Living with The Jacksons" panel at the Reelz Channel 2014 Summer TCA in Beverly Hills, Calif., on July 12, 2014, left, and Michael Jackson appears at the American Cinema Award gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 9, 1987. (AP)
Jaafar Jackson appears during the "Living with The Jacksons" panel at the Reelz Channel 2014 Summer TCA in Beverly Hills, Calif., on July 12, 2014, left, and Michael Jackson appears at the American Cinema Award gala in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 9, 1987. (AP)

Michael Jackson’s 26-year-old nephew, Jaafar Jackson, will play the King of Pop in the planned biopic “Michael” to be directed by Antoine Fuqua.

Lionsgate announced Jackson’s casting Monday for the film being produced by Oscar-winning “Bohemian Rhapsody” producer Graham King. Jackson is the second-youngest son of Jermaine Jackson, Michael’s brother. He’s put out music of his own; in 2019, he released his debut single, “Got Me Singing.” “Michael” will be Jackson’s acting debut.

“I met Jaafar over two years ago and was blown away by the way he organically personifies the spirit and personality of Michael,” said King in a statement. “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.”

On Instagram, Fuqua shared a black-and-white photograph of Jackson in character. Fuqua added in a statement that Jackson “has a natural ability to emulate Michael and such a great chemistry with the camera.”

On Twitter, Jackson said he’s “humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael’s story to life.”

“Michael” will be an authorized portrait of the pop star, who died in 2009. The film, scripted by “Gladiator” and “The Aviator” screenwriter John Logan, is being produced with the cooperation of the singer’s estate.

“Jaafar embodies my son,” Katherine Jackson said in a statement. “It’s so wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy of entertainers and performers.”

“Michael” is to begin shooting this year.

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Apple's 'F1: The Movie' Roars to Top of US, Canada Box Office

Cast member Brad Pitt attends the "F1: The Movie" European premiere in London, Britain, June 23, 2025. (Reuters)
Cast member Brad Pitt attends the "F1: The Movie" European premiere in London, Britain, June 23, 2025. (Reuters)
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Apple's 'F1: The Movie' Roars to Top of US, Canada Box Office

Cast member Brad Pitt attends the "F1: The Movie" European premiere in London, Britain, June 23, 2025. (Reuters)
Cast member Brad Pitt attends the "F1: The Movie" European premiere in London, Britain, June 23, 2025. (Reuters)

Apple's high-octane racing film "F1: The Movie" roared to the top of the US and Canadian box office this weekend, fueled by star-power and a finely-tuned marketing campaign, according to Comscore.

The movie, which stars Brad Pitt as a Formula 1 racer who returns to the track after an accident nearly ends his career, brought in $55.6 million in ticket sales in the two countries. That tally edged past the $45 million to $55 million pre-weekend domestic forecast from the Boxoffice Company.

Worldwide receipts topped $88 million, propelled by the sport's strong fan base in Europe and Latin America.

Racing films typically sputter in theaters, according to Daniel Loria, senior vice president of the Boxoffice Company, a theatrical ecommerce and data services firm. The most successful of the genre, the widely acclaimed "Ford v Ferrari," opened to a modest $31 million in November 2019.

"We haven't had that many movies about car racing that have broken through," Loria said. One notable outlier is the "Fast & Furious" action series that expanded beyond its street racing roots to include heists, espionage and an improbable moon shot.

"F1" had several factors weighing in its favor, helping to broaden its appeal beyond racing enthusiasts. The film's director, Joseph Kosinski, brought the same high-intensity cinematic treatment of Formula 1 racing that he lent to the fighter jet sequences in his 2022 movie, "Top Gun: Maverick." Moviegoers who were polled by CinemaScore gave F1 an A rating, signaling their approval.

Netflix's "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" series helped fuel the popularity of Formula 1 racing, particularly in the US Apple also put marketing muscle behind its movie, an Apple Original Films production that Variety reported cost in excess of $200 million to make.

The tech giant touted "F1" during CEO Tim Cook's keynote address at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference and offered a movie discount to iPhone users. Apple Music also amplified the film's soundtrack.

Warner Bros, which marketed and distributed the movie, developed a bespoke campaign that emphasized the participation of Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton in Europe and Latin America, while focusing on Pitt in the US.

"It's very much like a perfectly coordinated pit crew in a race," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst with Comscore, an information and analytics company. "They shot this thing off the starting line with great success."

"F1" represents the biggest opening weekend for Apple, whose previous cinematic efforts, such as director Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon," garnered critical acclaim but achieved modest results at the box office.

"The film's outstanding debut reflects both the excitement of Formula 1 and the deeply emotional and entertaining story crafted by the entire cast and creative team," Zack Van Amburg, Apple's head of worldwide video, said in a statement.