Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in MICHAEL. Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur
Worldwide audiences received their first look today at Jaafar Jackson in performance as Michael Jackson, bringing to life the “Man in the Mirror” from the legendary 1992-1993 Dangerous Tour.
The iconic photo, captured by renowned photographer Kevin Mazur, was released by Lionsgate and Universal Pictures International, the studios behind the much-anticipated April 18, 2025 film “Michael.”
The choice to have Mazur capture the first-look photograph of Jaafar Jackson is as intentional as so many of the artistic choices the producers have made. As one of the photographers who documented Michael over many years, Mazur captured rehearsals as he prepared to entertain the world with his “This Is It” concerts. He is now also the first to photograph Jaafar Jackson in character as Michael.
“When I arrived for my first day on the set of this movie, I was so excited – it was like the first time I went on tour to shoot Michael Jackson,” said Mazur. “When I walked onto the set, I felt like I’d gone back in time and I was walking into the stadium to shoot the tour. Seeing Jaafar perform, I thought, ‘Wow, it is Michael.’ The way he looks and acts, his mannerisms, everything – he’s Michael Jackson. For anyone who didn’t have the chance to see Michael perform live during his lifetime – this is how it was.”
“With Jaafar, every look, every note, every dance move is Michael,” said producer Graham King. “He embodies Michael in a way that no other actor could.”
Director Antoine Fuqua added, “We have assembled an incredible team of artists for this project – hair & makeup, costumes, cinematography, choreography, lighting, everything – and some who knew and worked with Michael are reuniting for this film. But most importantly, it’s Jaafar who embodies Michael. It goes beyond the physical resemblance. It’s Michael’s spirit that comes through in a magical way. You have to experience it to believe it.”
Lionsgate and Universal Pictures International have slated the worldwide release for April 18th 2025. The film is now in production.
Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson will be introduced to worldwide audiences in the starring role of the beloved musical icon. Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer films) will direct the film with Oscar® winner Graham King/GK Films (Bohemian Rhapsody, The Aviator, The Departed) producing, from a script by three-time Oscar® nominee John Logan.
Michael will bring audiences a riveting and honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated man who became known worldwide as the King of Pop. The film presents his triumphs and tragedies on an epic, cinematic scale — from his human side and personal struggles to his undeniable creative genius, captured by his most iconic performances. As never before, audiences will experience an inside look into one of the most influential, trailblazing artists the world has ever known.
Michael is produced by King and the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate, John Branca and John McClain. Lionsgate is distributing the film domestically, while Universal Pictures International will handle all territories apart from Japan, which Lionsgate will oversee.
Martin Scorsese’s highly anticipated 3D adventure, HUGO, was officially released nationwide today. (Check out our review right HERE) Last weekend, I was lucky enough to attend the NY press junket. Even without the presence of Martin Scorsese, the amount of talent at the press conference was intimidating. Sacha Baron Cohen, Emily Mortimer, Chloe Grace Moretz, Asa Butterfield, Sir Ben Kingsley, producers Graham King and John Logan & author Brian Selznick were all in attendance. A lot was covered during the 40-minute event. Here are some of the highlights of what was said…
SACHA BARON COHEN on his character: Well, there is actually, there is a bit of romance between myself and Emily’s character, which is actually the first romantic plot I’ve had that’s not been with a black prostitute or a man. So it was actually my first. We didn’t actually have a kissing scene, but there was a bit of romance in there. So that was a little bit different. And as for the rest, playing an authority figure, well, he’s a bumbling authority figure. And he’s dark, but he does have some beauty and softness underneath him. So a bit like my other characters.
ASA BUTTERFIELD on the difficulties of playing Hugo: Well, Hugo, he’s an orphan and because he’s had to grow up far faster than anyone else his age should have, I found it quite hard to relate to him because of all the hardships he’s gone through in his life. So I just had to come up with false past for him that was similar to mine and relate to him in that way.
CHLOE GRACE MORETZ on her accent: I’d probably say the hardest part about it was I was trying to conquer the accent. That was probably the most challenging thing I had to do as a character…. My brother Trevor and I kind of created the voice, and we worked together on the whole thing really.
EMILY MORTIMER on Martin Scorsese: Hedoesn’t sort of tell you what to do, and guide you through every step of the performance. He just shows you all the people’s movies. He did that on Shelter Island as well. So it’s more like he just helps you to understand the world of the film by showing you other people’s films, which is his inspiration anyway. (One of the films everyone was asked to watch is UNDER THE ROOFS OF PARIS)
SACHA BARON COHEN on the root of Evil: I mean certainly when I sort of approach the character of the station inspector; I wanted to know why was he so obsessed with chasing children? Was he actually, you know, a classic villain or was there reason for his malice? And, I sat down with John and Martin and we started talking about perhaps he was World War I veteran, and maybe he was injured. So we came up with the idea of the leg brace. Originally, it was a false leg, which the audience wouldn’t have realized until it was going to be the first chase. Then I was going to turn a corner and then my leg was going to fly off and go into camera in 3D. And that was going to be the first big 3D moment. Unfortunately, practically I was made aware that I would have had to kind of strap up my leg for four months in order to do that. So we kind of abandoned that, and I started wearing a leg brace instead.
SIR BEN KINGSLEY on staying in character: I tended to stay in character because so many of many of my major scenes were with Asa. And in order to feed that relationship because action and cut can be shockingly short, that space you have to establish a deep rapport with your fellow actors. So I think I tended to. Also, my shape was so defined as older George. So like it was very difficult for me to snap back into Ben because I mean it just didn’t happen. I just stayed because I was stuck with George.
JOHN LOGAN on film: Brian Selznick’s amazing novel he talks about movies as dreams, as ways to dream, as ways for all of us to dream. I know, when I was a kid growing up, that’s what they were for me because I was asthmatic. I couldn’t go out and play. I have to be in a dark room, and watching movies on TV allowed me to liberate every thought I’d ever had. And when I read Brian’s book for the first time that’s really what struck me more than anything was it was touching the 8-year-old me. And so, for me it was always about how does that damaged child find the place that he belongs?
SIR BEN KINGSLEY on wounded souls: Well, I think the core value of its magic is its fearlessness in putting wounded characters on the screen. That’s a very brave move. It’s not very fashionable. It’s not sugar coated. A wounded man who is totally retired from his life. He almost committed suicide of the spirit, orphan, orphan, a girl who lost her brother in the Battle of the Somme in 1914, a dreadful way to lose a brother, and a chap who lost his leg. Wounded, wounded, wounded, wounded, wounded. And I think that’s an incredibly bold move to make in the present context. That’s where the magic comes from. And as Sacha was saying, where’s the wound? Because if there is no wound, the healer has no function and the healer is the youngest person on the screen who pulls all these threads together. But you won’t have an audience empathizing with you if nothing needs comforting. It won’t happen. So I think all of this individually paradoxically nourished that scar inside us in order to make the magic, in order to make him the greatest magician on the screen and make all the magic happen.
EMILY MORTIMER on technology: I was saying yesterday that there is something about Scorsese using the latest 3D technology to push the boundaries of filmmaking in 2012 or 2011 or whatever. To make a film about the very first technology ever used to put magic on the screen over 100 years ago is just so perfect. And somehow you get a sense of every film that was made in between Mêlées and Scorsese.
SACHA BARON COHEN on the use of 3D: If I could just continue that. It felt like here’s the logical extension of filmmaking that if Miller was alive that he definitely would have been using 3D. That was the interesting thing because of the whole debate in cinema at the moment whether 3D is a gimmick or not. Scorsese really showed that it was a logical development of the filmmaking process.
CHLOE GRACE MORETZ on Scorsese: You know, not only did I grow as an actor on this film with Scorsese, I grew in my knowledge of film history, which I’ve always been a history buff. Of course, I walked on the set knowing a little bit about it thinking oh I can have a conversation with him. And then you get into the conversation and he’s like dah-dah-dah-dah. And I’m like, “Okay, I’m not prepared for this.”
SACHA BARON COHEN on collaboration: I think that’s the key about Scorsese that he’s totally collaborative, which I was surprised about. Because I expected him to be some incredible author, which he is an author. But part of his power and part of the reason why his films are that successful and that enduring is the fact that he’s ready to collaborate fully with all his actors.
BRIAN SELZNICK on writing the book: I made this book thinking it could not be filmed because the book at the end of the story, the object of the book itself actually becomes part of the plot. And what happens when you turn the page because a big chunk of the narrative in my book is told with images like a movie. But even so, it’s celebrating movies. It’s really about what happens when you turn the page, and the power of the book itself. So I just imagined it couldn’t be a movie. And like I said, I got the call that Scorsese wanted to make it. And I thought, well, maybe this actually can be a movie. And, I realized I never would have thought of him. Like if someone had asked me, “Who would you imagine directing this movie?” But, of course, the second we hear his name, we all realize there was no one else who could have made this movie. It was if I had sat for 2-1/2 years at my desk during which time in real life I was thinking I was writing something no one would read because it’s a book about French silent movies for children. Which isn’t a guaranteed best seller. You know, but it’s as if I did all of that for Marty.
BRIAN SELZNICK on his cameo: I had the great thrill of being put into the last scene of the movie. I got a line. I think a lot of you saw the movie. I’m sure you’re excited to meet me now because of that. But Sir Ben was incredibly generous with me. I suddenly found myself next to Sir Ben saying my line to Sir Ben. And we spent a lot of the day filming the last tracking shot in the kitchen waiting for the action and to do the three-minute tracking shot again. And the camera never goes into the kitchen, but we would open the cabinet doors and it was fully stocked with food.
SIR BEN KINGSLEY on the sets: It’s a huge gift to us. It constantly fed us. Between takes I used to wander around the station, and the detail was extraordinary. You never left that world, did you? I mean it was so embracing and so sustaining, a huge gift to the actors, all to scale and not a lot of CGI really. I mean compared to what there might have been, very little.
ASA BUTTERFIELD on the sets: And, the working clocks were incredible because they were real. You could actually wind them and they had weights on. And it was just incredible. I mean, as Sir Ben said it was a gift to the actors to work that way.
SACHA BARON COHEN on the film’s target audience: It seems to me that Marty makes films for himself. He is an artist, a true artist and he makes the movie that he wants to see. So my first line in the movie had the word malfeasance in it, which I barely understood. And I said, “Aren’t you worried that some of the children won’t understand this let alone the grown ups?” He said, “No, it’s the right word to use there.” And he’s one of the last remaining artists that is out there. And I think we should respect that. The movie is not focus grouped, and it’s not tailored for a 7-year-old in Iowa or Berlin or anywhere to appreciate it. Marty has made a work of art in the same way that Melies did. So I think that is a beautiful thing and it’s an incredible achievement for a filmmaker still to be able to do that. Thanks to Graham for being able to fund that.
The Weinstein Company presents the new trailer for CORIOLANUS – directed by Ralph Fiennes with a screenplay by John Logan, based on the play “Coriolanus” by William Shakespeare. Filmed in Serbia, Montenegro and the UK, the film will be released December 2nd.
Synopsis:
A feared and revered military commander courts tragedy when he enters the political arena in CORIOLANUS, a driving action/drama that marks the directorial debut of the film’s star, two-time Academy Award® nominee Ralph Fiennes. Updating William Shakespeare’s late-period tragedy of ancient Roman setting to the 21st Century of guerrilla insurgencies, instant polling and 24-hour news networks, Fiennes delivers a trenchant tale of honor, power, politics and pride. At the heart of the film is the personal journey of Caius Martius, the noble but flawed “Coriolanus” of the title. Scion of a proud, aristocratic military family, Coriolanus is a man of great courage and unshakeable integrity – but the values that have served him and his country in battle will be his downfall in civil society. Working from an adapted screenplay by award-winning writer John Logan, Fiennes takes a bracingly modern and naturalistic approach to Shakespeare, delivering a story that speaks strongly to our own polarized, volatile times. Joining Fiennes onscreen is an exciting, impressive and international cast that includes Gerard Butler, Brian Cox; Oscar® winner Vanessa Redgrave; Jessica Chastain; John Kani, James Nesbitt; Paul Jesson; Lubna Azabal; and Ashraf Barhom.
Caius Martius “Coriolanus” (Ralph Fiennes) is unquestionably Rome’s most courageous general and its most controversial. He is revered for his ferocity in battle and willingness to die for his country; and reviled for his openly contemptuous attitude towards the ordinary Roman citizen. After achieving an astounding victory in Rome’s long-running war with the neighboring Volsces, Coriolanus is prodded by his controlling and ambitious mother, Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave) to seek the prestigious and powerful political office of Consul. But Coriolanus bristles at the false niceties of retail politicking, and is loath to ingratiate himself with the masses whose votes he needs in order to secure the office. When the public rejects his bid, Coriolanus explodes in rage, prompting a riot that culminates in his expulsion from Rome. The banished hero then allies himself with his sworn enemy, the Volscian guerrilla leader Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler) to take revenge on his city.
Paramount Pictures and New Regency Productions jointly announced that Academy Award® nominated director Darren Aronofsky will direct the feature film NOAH, with Academy Award® nominated screenwriter John Logan (Gladiator, The Aviator) coming aboard to re-write the script by Aronofsky & Ari Handel. Aronofsky and Scott Franklin will produce the movie.
“Since I was a kid, I have been moved and inspired by the story of Noah and his family’s journey. The imaginations of countless generations have sparked to this epic story of faith. It’s my hope that I can present a window into Noah’s passion and perseverance for the silver screen,” said Aronofsky.
Aronofsky and Logan are repped by CAA.
ABOUT PARAMOUNT PICTURES CORPORATION
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company’s labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Famous Productions, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studio Group and Paramount Television & Digital Distribution.
ABOUT NEW REGENCY PRODUCTIONS INC.
Founded by Arnon Milchan, one of the most prolific and successful independent film producers of the past 30 years, New Regency Productions Inc. is engaged in the production and distribution of motion pictures throughout the world through strategic alliances with the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. In addition to its library of over 100 titles, upcoming New Regency film releases include What’s your Number?, starring Anna Faris and Chris Evans; In Time, directed by Andrew Niccol and starring Amanda Seyfried and Justin Timberlake; Darkest Hour and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.
Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski are looking to strike gold once again by reteaming. Depp will provide the voice of the lead character of Verbinski’s animated film, ‘Rango’, to be produced and distributed by Paramount.
The script, written by John Logan (‘Gladiate’, ‘Sweeney Todd’) follows a household pet that goes on an adventure to find himself. Verbinski will direct.
Says Verbinski: “The animation techniques will allow us to capture and translate every aspect of Johnny’s performance, using it to drive the computer-generated character in a way that has yet to be seen in an animated feature.”
