Colman Domingo all set to play role of Michael Jackson's father in biopic

WASHINGTON: American actor and writer Colman Domingo is all set to play the late Joe Jackson in the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael', according to The Hollywood Reporter. Domingo, who recently received critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination for his portrayal in Rustin, will appear in Michael, a Lionsgate biopic set to be released worldwide on April 18, 2025.

Joe Jackson, the father of Michael, Janet, and their eight siblings died in 2018 at the age of 89. Michael Jackson's nephew, Jaafar Jackson, will portray the pop singer. "Not only am I fortunate to have a rich, complex and flawed character to portray in Joe Jackson, but I also have a front-row seat for Jaafar's incredible transformation. After seeing him in rehearsal, my mind was blown," Domingo said in a statement. "There is something divine about the way that Jaafar is channelling his late uncle. His talent and embodiment of Michael's essence is simply on another level."

Antoine Fuqua is directing the film from a script by John Logan. "Colman has such incredible range - he puts in the work to deeply inhabit his characters and understand their true essence and motivation. I'm grateful to be working with an actor with his passion and ability to portray the many sides of Joe Jackson: a husband, a father and a manager," Fuqua said in a statement.

Universal Pictures owns the film's international rights, excluding Japan. Graham King, a seasoned biopic producer, is producing alongside John Branca and John McClain, the Michael Jackson estate's co-executives.

According to Lionsgate, the film will cover all aspects of Jackson's life, but it is unclear how -- or even if -- it will address the late music icon's numerous controversies, given that the biopic is being produced in collaboration with his estate, which has defended him against allegations of sexually abusing children. The 2019 HBO documentary 'Leaving Neverland' brought these charges back to the forefront of public discourse.

Joe Jackson began working on his children's musical careers in the early 1960s when they lived in Gary, Indiana, bringing Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Michael together to become the Jackson 5. Domingo is also an Emmy winner for his guest role in 'Euphoria' and his other credits include Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Zola and the musical film version The Color Purple, reported The Hollywood Reporter.