the industry

Joseph Fiennes to Play Michael Jackson — Wait, What?

You are not alone.

Joseph “Shakespeare in Love†Fiennes is set to play yet another creative genius: The Guardian reports that Fiennes has confirmed he’ll play Michael Jackson — yes, that Michael Jackson — in a British TV movie about a post-9/11 celebrity road trip. (The casting was previously rumored in December.) The untitled drama, set to air on Britain’s Sky Arts, tells the story of Jackson’s legendary escape from New York City alongside Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando during the air-travel shutdown that followed the terror attacks. The trio of artists reportedly made it as far as Ohio, gorging on junk food in a rental car, though Taylor’s old assistant has claimed the legendary actress never joined Brando and Jackson on the trip. Stockard Channing will play Taylor in the film, with Brian Cox as Brando — and, again, Joseph Fiennes as Michael Jackson, the king of pop. Huh.

Joseph Fiennes to Play Michael Jackson on TV