Could Janet Jackson be getting the biopic treatment after the success of ‘Michael’?
Credit: Christopher Polk/Getty; Gilbert Flores/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Michael, the hit Michael Jackson biopic starring the late King of Pop’s nephew Jaafar, was produced with the support of the Jackson family
- Janet Jackson was not portrayed in the movie, which Jaafar addressed in a new interview
- “I don’t want to speak too early, but Janet has ideas of maybe doing her own film,” Jaafar said in a new interview
After sitting out the Michael Jackson biopic, the late musician’s sister Janet could be bringing her own story to the screen.
The King of Pop’s origin story took audiences by storm with Michael, led by Jaafar — son of Jermaine and nephew to Michael and Janet — in the title role. Speaking in his new GQ Middle East cover story, Jaafar, 30, weighed in on why Janet, 60, may have been missing from the film.
“I don’t want to speak too early, but Janet has ideas of maybe doing her own film,” said the actor.
“So having someone portrayed in this and then choosing a different actor for her own is just…” he trailed off.
A rep for Janet has not yet responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage
The Antoine Fuqua-directed, John Logan-written Michael costarred Colman Domingo as the Jackson 5’s father and manager Joe and Nia Long as their mother Katherine. The movie depicts the family’s early success with Motown Records in the late 1960s until Michael’s hit solo album Bad in the late 1980s.
Michael and Janet’s sister La Toya, portrayed in the biopic by Jessica Sula, told Variety at an April premiere in Los Angeles that her sister “was asked and she kindly declined” to participate in the biopic that otherwise had many Jackson family members’ support. “So you have to respect her wishes,” said the musician, 70.
Jaafar recalled to GQ Middle East an early screening of Michael footage shown to his family members. “I didn’t want to be in the room, but I was like, I should, just because it’s a lot to take in, especially portraying your family member and then having all your family there,” he shared.
“There were some sniffles, a few cousins getting emotional,” added the actor. “And after it ended, I just got so many hugs and a lot of support… It was a relief, because there was a lot of worry as to how it was going to be done. But once they saw my portrayal, it was a huge relief.”
Credit: Glen Wilson/Lionsgate
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
After Miles Teller, who played Michael’s lawyer-manager John Branca in the biopic, said that a sequel was in the works, distributor Lionsgate confirmed the news earlier this month.
Following its April release, Michael crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office in July, becoming one of 2026’s biggest movies and the highest-grossing biopic of all time.
Read the full article here
