The Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, was in production on Wednesday (April 3) in Encino, Calif., near the Jackson family home.
A basecamp for the production was set up in both ends of the Encino/Balboa Golf Course parking lot. An employee at the golf course confirmed that the film in production was Michael, a source told Music Times.
Along with several production trucks, a few wardrobe racks were spotted, while a trio of classic Mercedes Benz sedans and a Rolls-Royce -- presumably for use in the film -- were seen at the other end of the parking lot, near some more production trucks.
The golf course is only about a mile from the Jackson family home on Havenhurst Avenue, just south of Ventura Boulevard in Encino. It's unclear whether the production is shooting on location at the Jackson family home.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua and based on a script by John Logan, the film is set for an April 18, 2025 release from Lionsgate and Universal.
It will star Jaafar Jackson, Jackson's nephew and the son of Jermaine Jackson, as Michael in his prime. The young Michael is portrayed by Juliano Krue Valdi.
Fuqua told Entertainment Weekly that he's been "blown away" by Jaafar, saying he "sounds like him, dance like him, sings. It's really uncanny."
Others in the cast include Colman Domingo and Nia Long as Jackson's parents, Joe and Katherine, while Miles Teller will play Jackson's lawyer Jon Branca.
Teller, known for his role in Top Gun: Maverick, told Variety that he was thrilled to be involved in the project, even though Jackson's legacy has been tainted by allegations of child sex abuse. "You only get so many opportunities in this business to make films," he said in an interview at the Vanity Fair Oscars party. "I'm really excited to be a part of it. I think it's going to blow people away."
"Regardless of what you know or what your opinion may be, Michael is one of the greatest to ever do it, if not the greatest," Teller added. "He deserves a movie, and I'm excited to be a part of it."
