Nia Long To Portray Michael Jackson's Mother In His Biopic

The Michael Jackson biopic has found another member— the mother of the King of Pop. Hollywood actress Nia Long has joined the Jackson family and will be portraying the late pop star’s mother, Katherine Jackson. In a formal announcement on Tuesday, Lionsgate confirmed that Nia Long will play the family matriarch for the Jackson musical family. This comes days after the makers confirmed the names of the actors to play Michael’s father and his young version. Oscar nominee Colman Domingo will feature as Joe Jackson, while nine-year-old Juliano Krue will portray a young Jackson. Besides them, Michael Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, will also feature in the biopic to portray the music legend.

Confirming the actress’ name for a pivotal role in the biopic, director Antoine Fuqua, in a statement, praised Nia Long and said that he was excited to “work alongside her as she pours all of that into Katherine Jackson: a woman who was the glue, the rock, and the heart of the Jackson family during its best and its most turbulent times.”

On the other hand, the actress, while speaking about her role, called Katherine Jackson “an incredible pillar of strength and grace for the entire Jackson family.”

Having set a spring 2025 release date, the filming of Michael Jackson’s biopic titled Michael has already begun. The biopic is expected to tackle all aspects of Jackson’s life as the true icon of pop music who passed away in 2009. From his early days as a member of Jackson 5 to his career-defining triumphs as a solo artist, Michael will trace his wins and losses while examining his personal struggles and some iconic performances.

However, it is yet to be known if the film will shed light on the accusations of child sexual abuse, a stint that made him suffer from an unprecedented fall from grace.

Graham King is producing Michael along with the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate, John Branca and John McClain. Meanwhile, John Logan has penned down the script for the biopic. While Lionsgate is distributing the film domestically, Universal Pictures will handle all the other territories except Japan.

The film will get a global release on 18 April 2025.