Antoine Fuqua to helm biopic on Michael Jackson

LOS ANGELES, Jan 19 (PTI): Filmmaker Antoine Fuqua is set to direct a biopic based on the life of pop legend Michael Jackson.
Titled “Michael”, the Lionsgate film comes from producer Graham King, who earlier backed “Bohemian Rhapsody” that earned Rami Malek an Oscar for best actor.
According to entertainment news website Variety, the movie will begin production in 2023 and is written by John Logan of “Skyfall” fame.
The film will explore all aspects of Jackson’s life, including his most iconic performances that led him to become the greatest entertainer of all time. Regarded as the ‘King of Pop’, Jackson died in 2009 at the age of 50.
“The first films of my career were music videos, and I still feel that combining film and music are a deep part of who I am,” said Fuqua, known for movies such as “Training Day”, “Tears of the Sun”, “Olympus Has Fallen”, “The Equalizer” and “Southpaw”.
“For me, there is no artist with the power, the charisma, and the sheer musical genius of Michael Jackson. I was influenced to make music videos by watching his work — the first Black artist to play in heavy rotation on MTV. His music and those images are part of my worldview, and the chance to tell his story on the screen alongside his music was irresistible,” he added.
“Michael” will be distributed worldwide by Lionsgate.