Nia Long to Star as Katherine Jackson in Michael Jackson Biopic

Nia Long. Photo/Peacock (The Best Man:The Final Chapters)

Nia Long will reportedly star as Katherine Jackson (Michael Jackson's mother) in the upcoming biopic, Michael. Katherine, now 93 years old, has always been depicted as the cornerstone of the Jackson family, alongside her husband, Joseph Jackson, who led the family to Hollywood. The director of Training Day and The Equalizer installments, Antoine Fuqua, will also direct this film. Jaafar Jackson, Michael's nephew, will reportedly star as Michael. Colman Domingo will play Joe Jackson. Mother Jackson is reportedly pleased that her grandson will carry out her son's role in the film; she told The Hollywood Reporter, "It's so wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy of entertainers and performers."

Paris Jackson (Michael's daughter) with his mother, Katherine Jackson. Photo/Instagram

Fuqua is highly excited about this project; he told The Hollywood Reporter, "The first films of my career were music videos, and I still feel that combining film and music are a deep part of who I am." "For me, there is no artist with the power, the charisma, and the sheer musical genius of Michael Jackson. I was influenced to make music videos by watching his work — the first Black artist to play in heavy rotation on MTV. His music and those images are part of my worldview, and the chance to tell his story on the screen alongside his music was irresistible."

Michael is set to hit theaters in April 2025. The late Michael Jackson's estate is reportedly co-producing the project. Several productions have unsuccessfully attempted to tell the story of Jackson, a Gary, Indiana native who relocated to California as a child star alongside his brothers Marvin, Tito, Jackie, Randy, and Jermaine to form the hit group The Jackson Five. Years later, MJ embarked on a solo career, becoming a chart-topping artist who is still deemed by many as one of the best entertainers ever. Jackson sold over 400 million albums worldwide and won thirteen Grammys before his death. The King of Pop had many highly successful records. In 2023, Forbes said, "Jackson's most successful album ("Thriller") makes it to 600 weeks on the ranking of the most-consumed full-lengths in the U.S — the Billboard 200." "Thriller is now just the tenth album in U.S. history to reach 600 weeks spent on the Billboard 200."  

His success came with a myriad of accusations and public ridicule. Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse on multiple occasions, which he always vehemently denied. Before his 2009 death, The "Bad" singer and his family always said the sexual assault accusations were false and made strictly for financial gain. In 2019, his brothers and nephew interviewed with Gayle King about the movie Leaving Neverland, which allegedly told the story of two then-boys, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who accused the musician of molestation. The Jackson family scoffed at the production, defending the singer's name against the claims.

Michael is expected to be the best project to accurately capture his life and career. The film is scheduled to have a domestic and worldwide release. To follow this story and other news, click the link to subscribe to Volume 82.