Michael Jackson's Nephew Jafaar Rocks His Own 'Thriller' Costume for King of Pop's Biopic

Michael Jackson, Jaafar Jackson
MJ: Christina Barany/Getty Images; Jaafar Jackson: Araya Doheny / Stringer

Photos from the set of the Michael Jackson biopic showed Jaafar Jackson in a costume similar to that worn by the King of Pop in his "Thriller" music video.

Jaafar has been making headlines since he was tapped to portray his uncle's role in Michael, an Antoine Fuqua-directed biopic set for release on April 18, 2025.

Less than a year before the film arrives, more photos from the set have continuously shocked Michael's fans because of Jaafar's unquestionable resemblance to the late singer.

In the new photos shared by People and The Sun, the 27-year-old actor was seen performing while wearing a costume similar to one of Michael's most iconic outfits. Jaafar donned a leather jacket to recreate the scenes in the "Thriller" music video.

Ola Ray was also spotted in the same photographs while dancing zombies surrounded them on the set.

The photos came out after Rita Moreno sat down for an interview with People, during which she spoke about the "Thriller" iconic choreography.

"I love to tell the story," she said. "[Michael] told me one day that I was a huge favorite of his, [in this] tiny little voice. And he said, 'I've always loved your dancing, and I copied some of the steps,' and sure enough, when I saw 'Thriller,' I saw some of the steps from 'America.'"

Moreno added, "Oh he loved, he loved 'America.' He just loved the choreography. He was influenced by [West Side Story choreographer] Jerome Robbins. Oh, very much. Very much."

Jaafar joined Michael's cast, which also included Kat Graham, Jessica Sula, Colman Domingo, Liv Symon, Miles Teller, and Kendrick Sampson.

Fuqua previously spoke highly of Jaafar's uncanny resemblance to Michael during his interview with EW.

"Sounds like him, dances like him. I mean, it's really uncanny. It's on hold, obviously, because of the strike. So, we're just waiting to see what happens," said the filmmaker.

Fuqua worked with his team to perfectly deliver the biopic with the help of Jaafar's portrayal.

Meanwhile, photographer Kevin Mazur-who captured Jaafar's first-look image-shared how it felt like the first time he went on tour to shoot Jackson. He also immediately thought of the King of Pop upon seeing Jaafar because of the rising star's looks, mannerisms, and actions.

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