Michael Jackson will be played by his real-life nephew, Jaafar Jackson. This is Jaafar's film debut.
The producer Graham King said on CinemaCon that it'll be a lengthy feature (more than 2h 30m) and that it will include over 30 songs from Michael's catalog, so fans can pretty much expect to hear all the hits.
To recreate the release of the album "Off The Wall" by Michael Jackson, the exterior of the iconic "Tower Records" was restored to resemble the store as it was during the album's original release. This restoration recreated the layout, displays, and decor to reflect the era and capture the essence of the music scene at that time.
Nia Long plays Katherine Jackson in this film. Her Boyz N the Hood (1991) co-star Angela Bassett also played Mrs. Jackson in the mini-series The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992).
Filming was delayed because of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.