The celebrated actress will star alongside Jaafar Jackson and Colman Domingo in the forthcoming biopic, ‘Michael.’
Nia Long has signed on to play Katherine Jackson, mother of Michael Jackson and matriarch of the Jackson family, in an upcoming biopic about the king of Pop.
On Tuesday, Lionsgate announced that Long has joined the cast of Michael, which is currently in production and slated to hit theaters April 18th, 2025.
Nia commented on joining the cast in a press release, expressing, “Katherine Jackson is an incredible pillar of strength and grace for the entire Jackson family.”
“As a mother, she was selfless and endured forces beyond her control yet still managed to help build a legacy beyond measure,” Nia said of Katherine, 93. “I am honored to bring her voice to the screen and share Michael Jackson’s story with audiences everywhere.”
The film — directed by Antoine Fuqua and penned by Oscar-nominated screenwriter John Logan — is set to star the ‘thriller’ singer cousin, Jaafar Jackson, as the iconic music superstar.
Jaafar, the son of Jermaine Jackson, performed alongside his famous uncles for years. In an interview with EW, Fuqua said he was “blown away” by Jaafar’s portrayal of his uncle. “It’s uncanny how much he’s like Michael. Sounds like him, dances like him, sings. It’s really uncanny,” he said.
, who is nominated this awards season for his performance in Rustin –will portray the familys famed controversial patriach, Joe Jackson — who died in in June 2018 at age 89.
Earlier this month, Colman spoke with ET shortly after the nominations for the 96th Academy Awards were announced.
