Janet Jackson may have a practical reason for staying completely outside her brother Michael Jackson’s blockbuster biopic, she could be considering telling her own story separately.
Her nephew Jaafar Jackson raised that possibility in a new GQ Middle East interview while discussing why Janet was not portrayed in Michael. “I don’t want to speak too early, but Janet has ideas of maybe doing her own film,” he said.
Jaafar then pointed to a potential casting problem. If another actress established an onscreen version of Janet in Michael, a separate movie about her life could later face the awkward question of whether to retain that performer or recast the role.
“So having someone portrayed in this and then choosing a different actor for her own is just…” he said before trailing off. Janet has not announced such a project.
Jaafar Says Janet May Want to Tell Her Story Separately
His wording was that Janet has “ideas” about possibly making her own film. His reasoning was less about family tension than about maintaining control over how Janet might eventually be represented onscreen.
Janet’s story substantially overlaps with Michael’s. They grew up in the same famous family before she established a major career of her own, and the two later collaborated on “Scream.”
Introducing an actress as Janet in a film centered on Michael could therefore make a later Janet-focused project more complicated if she envisioned a different performer or creative approach. PEOPLE reported that her representative had not responded to a request for comment about the possibility.
Janet Was Asked to Be Portrayed in ‘Michael’ and Declined
Janet’s absence from Michael was intentional. At the Los Angeles premiere in April, La Toya Jackson told Variety that Janet had been given the opportunity to be represented in the film. “She was asked and she kindly declined, so you have to respect her wishes,” La Toya said.
Director Antoine Fuqua likewise avoided suggesting that Janet’s decision reflected a break with Jaafar or the rest of the production. “I have so much respect and love for Janet, but you know it’s OK,” Fuqua told Variety. “She’s supportive of Jaafar and that’s what matters.”
The movie portrays several other members of the Jackson family. Colman Domingo plays patriarch Joe Jackson, Nia Long portrays Katherine Jackson and Jessica Sula appears as La Toya, while Juliano Valdi plays Michael as a child and Jaafar takes over the role as he grows into a global superstar. Michael’s son Prince Jackson also served as an executive producer.
Jaafar Was Nervous About Showing His Family His Michael
Long before audiences saw the finished movie, Jaafar had to face what may have been the most intimidating screening of his career. He told GQ Middle East that producer Graham King arranged a private viewing of Jaafar’s first screen test for his cousins and other second-generation members of the Jackson family after he had spent roughly a year and a half to two years preparing to portray Michael.
Jaafar initially did not want to sit in the room. “I was like, I should, just because it’s a lot to take in, especially portraying your family member and then having all your family there,” he recalled.
The screening became intensely quiet as everyone watched. Jaafar remembered hearing “some sniffles” and seeing a few cousins become emotional. The response afterward eased much of his anxiety.
“I just got so many hugs and a lot of support,” he said. “It was a relief, because there was a lot of worry as to how it was going to be done.” Jaafar said the family’s reaction left him feeling that his portrayal had cleared an unusually personal hurdle before the film was ever released publicly.
‘Michael’ Became the Highest-Grossing Biopic Ever
The Antoine Fuqua-directed movie crossed $1 billion at the worldwide box office in July, becoming the highest-grossing biopic of all time. The film follows Michael from his childhood with the Jackson 5 through his extraordinary solo rise and ends around the Bad era in the late 1980s.
Its commercial success immediately increased interest in continuing the story. The ending itself signals that the movie is not intended to stand alone, telling audiences, “His Story Continues.” Lionsgate has since confirmed that it is actively developing a second film.
The sequel would move into a substantially more complicated period of Michael’s life, including the years when allegations of child sexual abuse became a defining part of his public story. Michael denied those allegations during his lifetime and was acquitted of criminal charges in 2005.
Jaafar told GQ Middle East that the new screenplay was still in development and acknowledged that he does not control what the sequel ultimately covers.
A Second ‘Michael’ Movie Is Already Moving Forward
Unlike Janet’s possible biopic, the second Michael movie has progressed beyond the idea stage. Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson said in August that the studio is targeting a production start toward the end of 2026 or early 2027.
The current release target is sometime between late 2027 and the first half of 2028. The filmmakers also have material left over from the first production. Fogelson said several previously filmed sequences, particularly large musical numbers, are “almost sure” to be incorporated into the sequel.
Jaafar has already spoken as someone expecting to continue the work. In the GQ interview, he said there is “so much more to Michael’s story” and expressed hope that a second film would provide a fuller picture of his uncle’s later years.
A Janet Jackson Biopic Is Still Only a Possibility
Janet certainly has enough material for a movie distinct from her brother’s story. Her career moved from childhood television appearances to albums including Control, Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814, janet. and The Velvet Rope, establishing her as one of the defining pop and R&B performers of her generation.
She has also already taken a more direct approach to documenting her life. The 2022 documentary series JANET JACKSON. gave her considerable space to discuss her family, relationships, career and experiences in her own words.