People are feeling pretty excited about the upcoming biopic of the ‘King of Pop’…
“Absolutely perfect casting!” wrote one fan.
“I cannot wait for this to be released!” added another.
And it looks like it’s going to be a family affair.
Scroll down for the full story!
Everyone knows Michael Jackson as the ‘King of Pop’…
He gave us tunes like Beat It, Billie Jean, Thriller, Man In The Mirror, and Smooth Criminal to name a few, but where did it all begin?
Jackson began performing with his 4 brothers in the pop group The Jackson 5 when he was a child.
The group scored its first No. 1 single in 1969, with ‘I Want You Back’, and by age eleven, Jackson was appearing on TV.
At the tender age of fortune, he released his first solo album.
And a popular Jackson 5 TV cartoon series appeared to run in the early 70s and in 1976 the Jackson family, including sister Janet Jackson. It was called The Jacksons and ran for 1 season.
Throughout the 70s, the press heavily focused on the young Jackson who piped vocals in his high voice for ‘ABC’, ‘I’ll Be There’, and many other Top 20 hits.
But it wasn’t until his great breakthrough in 1979 with Off the Wall that he became the first solo artist to score 4 Top 10 hits from one album, including: ‘She’s Out of My Life’ and ‘Rock with You’.
Eventually, his next album, Thriller in 1983, became the biggest-selling album up to that time and sold 45 million copies around the world.
This time, Jackson scored 7 Top 10 singles, and the album won 8 Grammies!
Although his next album, Bad in 1987, only sold about half as many copies as Thriller…
It was still a tremendous seller.
But it was in 1991 that Jackson signed an unprecedented $65 million record deal with Sony, in which he released Dangerous.
Apart from his stepping stone journey to fame, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Jackson developed a reputation as an eccentric recluse.
Reportedly, he moved to a 2,700-acre ranch called Neverland, which he outfitted with wild animals and a Ferris wheel.
He then underwent a facelift and nose job and was rumored to have lightened his skin through chemical treatment, though he claimed his complete makeover was due to a skin disease.
Unfortunately, in 1993, a scandal broke when Jackson was publicly accused of child molestation and underwent an investigation.
The case was later settled out of court.
That was when Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley in 1994.
The couple later divorced.
Jackson then married Deborah Rowe in 1996, and the pair had 2 children, Prince and Paris before they divorced in 1999.
But more good news awaited Jackson…
On June 13, 2005, Jackson was acquitted of the s*xual molestation of a young boy, Gavin Arvizo, in criminal court.
Jackson died on June 25, 2009, in Los Angeles, California, having suffered cardiac arrest, which was just weeks before a planned concert tour billed as his “comeback.”
He was fifty years old.
In early 2010, an official coroner’s report revealed the cause of death as acute propofol intoxication.
As per reports, Propofol, often marketed as Diprivan, can be used for general anesthesia and sedation for medical procedures, apparently, Jackson had been given the drug by his personal physician to help him sleep at night.
Since his death, Jackson’s kids have faced media scrutiny…
As they were always seen wearing masks in public to hide their identity.
But all 3 found international fame when they attended and spoke at their father’s memorial.
They were also interviewed by Oprah Winfrey about life after their father’s death.
“It never gets any easier,” said forteen-year-old Paris Jackson at the time.
It was just last year she had spoken about her struggles with depression and substance abuse in the past and is regularly on Instagram.
Although, Jackson has left a profound legacy people have said someone is coming for his title as ‘King of Pop’…
Harry Styles.
This comes after Rolling Stone UK published an interview in which they refer to Styles as the “new King of Pop.”
Earlier this year, Jackson’s nephew, Taj Jackson, also spoke out against claims that Styles was the new ‘King of Pop’.
He tweeted: “There is no new King of Pop. You don’t own the title @RollingStone, and you didn’t earn it, my uncle did. Decades of dedication and sacrifice. The title has been retired.”
“No disrespect to @Harry_Styles, he’s mega-talented. Give him his own unique title,” he concluded.
He also referred to Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Presley, and pointed out that they never crowned someone “the new boss” or “the new king.”
And it seems Taj isn’t the only member of the Jackson family to speak out on the matter…
According to Metro, on the UK talk show Good Morning Britain, co-hosts Adil Ray and Charlotte Hawkins spoke to Jackson’s son Prince.
The twenty-five-year-old, who was born Michael Joseph Jackson Jr, was asked by Ray: “Can I just ask you very quickly? Rolling Stone has labeled Harry Styles – we all love Harry Styles – but they’ve labeled him ‘the new King of Pop.’ It’s caused a bit of controversy among fans. What do you think of that?”
“He’s got his own genre and he’s definitely an amazing artist. But, the ‘King of Pop’ was a moniker that really my dad earned,” Prince responded.
He then explained how access to information and the access to popularity and fame wasn’t as easily accessible as it is today.
“With so many other social factors that you have to take into consideration at that time, I do feel that my father is the King of Pop, will always be the King of Pop, and it’s not something that you can ever take away, because we’ve just evolved so much as a society that those same factors will never be the same,” Prince continued.
“So when you look at the… from where my father started to where he ended, versus where all these other people started to where they ended, it’s just night and day of a difference,” he added.
But this year, Michael Jackson fans have been blessed with more good news.
There’s set to be a new biopic of the star coming out!
And fans have been privy to an exciting casting choice.
Michael is set to be played by his own nephew, Jaafar Jackson.
Jaafar is the son of Michael’s big brother, Jermaine.
Jaafar tweeted: ”I’m humbled and honored to bring my Uncle Michael’s story to life. To all the fans all over the world, I’ll see you soon.”
Michael’s mom is also happy about the decision.
“Jaafar embodies my son. It’s so wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy of entertainers and performers,” she said to the Hollywood Reporter.
“I met Jaafar over two years ago and was blown away by the way he organically personifies the spirit and personality of Michael,” the film’s producer, Graham King concurred.
“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. I am beyond thrilled that he has come on board to portray his uncle and cannot wait for the world to see him on the big screen as Michael Jackson.”
Are you excited for the movie?