‘Michael’: Jaafar Jackson And Filmmaker Antoine Fuqua On How The King Of Pop Transcended Barriers With His Music (EXCLUSIVE)

One of the big films of the summer is the Michael Jackson biopic, “Michael” that stars Jaafar Jackson in the lead role. Katherine, the mother of Michael Jackson, gave a seal of approval to his casting as one of music's biggest icons. The King Of Pop redefined music and his legacy is timeless. As we know, Michael Jackson had formed his own label MJJ Music in the early 1990s as a subsidiary of Epic Records. He was also someone who incorporated music from all over the world in his songs. Jaafar Jackson and filmmaker Antoine Fuqua shared their thoughts on the icon's ideas about autonomy in music and his love for multiculturalism. 

His nephew Jaafar Jackson in an exclusive statement to Variety India, said, “Michael would always say that he wanted his music to be universal, to be for everyone.” Admirers of the King Of Pop who are all over the world will vouch for this. Michael Jackson often defined himself as a channel of music using everything from African rhythms to Eastern influences in his pop songs. His aim was to create songs that transcended all barriers.

Jaafar added, “That seems to have been his vision from the beginning, to bring people together through music. He didn’t want corporations to define what music you should listen to. He fought hard for that and opened up new paths for all the artists to come.” 

Speaking about Michael’s lasting impact and legacy, the director Antoine Fuqua shared, “What makes Michael singular was his ability to imagine. He saw beyond what most people see.His voice, his dancing, the way he connected influenced so many artists today, but there will never be another Michael.”

The biopic, “Michael” is releasing all over India on April 24, 2026.