Michael Jackson’s nephew Jaafar was pictured Thursday recreating his late uncle’s zombie look in his iconic 1983 video Thriller, for the upcoming biopic about the King of Pop.
Jaafar, 27, donned Michael Jackson’s trademark red leather suit as he was seen on set in Los Angeles working on the movie, which is titled Michael.
The Los Angeles native was made up to resemble Jackson’s zombified look in the famous video, a stalwart of MTV’s burgeoning days.
Jaafar, who is the son of Jermaine Jackson and Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza, was surrounded by a group of backup dancers also dressed as the undead during the shoot.
Jaafar has been busy in recent months with production on the motion picture, as he filmed scenes for the biopic earlier this month in downtown Los Angeles; and in Encino, California in March.
Michael Jackson’s nephew Jaafar, 27, was pictured Thursday in LA recreating his late uncle’s zombie look in his iconic 1983 video Thriller, for the upcoming biopic about the King of Pop
Jaafar had been pictured working on the set of the film in LA May 25, sans the zombie look
A trailer for the movie, which is directed by Antoine Fuqua, aired to a strong reaction at CinemaCon in Las Vegas last month, Variety reported.
The preview was part of the studio Lionsgate’s showcase to movie theater owners, ahead of an expected premiere date of April 18, 2025.
The preview also focused on the massive attention paid to the superstar by fans and the paparazzi.
In the preview, a voice attributed to that of his mother Katherine Jackson could be heard telling her son, ‘There might be some people who think you’re different and that’s gonna make life a little harder for you.
‘But you never were like anyone else – Michael, you have a very special light – so make that light shine onto the world.’
A voice attributed to Michael Jackson is heard saying, ‘When I’m not onstage everything feels foreign to me.’
Ahead of the cinematic showcase, the film’s producer Graham King said the movie would be ‘an inside look at the most prolific artist who ever lived’ as ‘there are elements of drama, intrigue and emotional states.’
King said he’s been working on this film for seven years and conducted hundreds of interviews in an effort to get the best insights for the forthcoming project.
‘There are biopics – and there’s Michael Jackson,’ King told the crowd at the movie industry convention.
Jaafar was surrounded by a group of backup dancers also dressed as the undead during the shoot
Jaafar has been busy with production on the motion picture in multiple locations throughout Southern California this year
The Los Angeles native was made up to resemble Jackson’s zombified look in the famous video, a stalwart of MTV’s burgeoning days
Jafaar mimicked aspects of Michael’s dancing in the music video from the record-setting album
Michael Jackson’s video for the title track Thriller remains one of the most memorable and acclaimed in history
Thriller was the first-ever music video placed into the National Film Registry following Jackson’s death in 2009
The film is expected to cover all aspects of Jackson’s life and career, including his legal issues.
Among them include the 1993 lawsuit he settled accusing him of sexual abuse of a child, which he eventually settled.
He also faced trial in Santa Barbara, California in 2005 in connection with separate claims of child sexual abuse, of which he was acquitted.
King said the film will ‘get into all of it,’ adding that ‘behind the unrelenting scrutiny and the accusations and the spotlight, he was simply a man – a man with a very complicated life.’
King said people told him he would be challenged to find an actor to fill the role, which he feels Jaafar has done splendidly.
‘When I started out, everyone said, “You’ll never find anyone to play him,”‘ King said.
The movie also stars Colman Domingo and Nia Long in the roles of Jackson’s parents Joe and Katherine Jackson. Rounding out the cast include Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Kat Graham, Larenz Tate and Jessica Sula.
Michael Jackson’s video for the title track Thriller remains one of the most memorable and acclaimed in history, having been the first-ever music video placed into the National Film Registry following Jackson’s death in 2009.
Jafaar was at the center of proceedings as he led a group dance on the set
Cameras rolled on the sequence, which is sure to mark a critical scene in the movie
A trailer for the movie, which is directed by Antoine Fuqua, aired to a strong reaction at CinemaCon in Las Vegas last month
The preview was part of the studio Lionsgate’s showcase to movie theater owners, ahead of an expected premiere date of April 18, 2025
The film is expected to cover all aspects of Jackson’s life and career, including his legal issues
A production crew was seen assembled on the LA set of the motion picture
Producer Graham King said people told him he would be challenged to find an actor to fill the role, which he feels Jaafar has done splendidly
‘When I started out, everyone said, “You’ll never find anyone to play him,”‘ King said
The movie also stars Colman Domingo and Nia Long in the roles of Jackson’s parents Joe and Katherine Jackson
Rounding out the cast include Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Kat Graham, Larenz Tate and Jessica Sula
The real Michael Jackson was flanked by a group of zombies in this shot from the set of the 1983 music video
The video was directed by John Landis and debuted on MTV on December 2, 1983; it was part of a 14-minute short film featuring Michael Jackson turning into a zombie, flanked by undead dancers
The iconic video, which was directed by John Landis, debuted on MTV on December 2, 1983, as part of a 14-minute short film featuring Jackson turning into a zombie, flanked by undead dancers.
Michael Jackson’s greatest success would come with the November 29, 1982 release of the album Thriller, which remains the best-selling album ever, Guinness World Records reported in 2021, with more than 67 million copies sold.
The record, which won eight Grammys on 12 nominations, was the top-selling album for 37 weeks and remained on the charts for 80 weeks, marking a milestone of the 1980s.
The record had seven hits in the Top 10, marked by the timeless staples Thriller, Beat It and Billie Jean, as well as the hits Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’, P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) and Human Nature.
