The highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic has found their “Dirty Diana.” On Monday (March 25), Lionsgate and Universal Pictures announced several new additions to the film’s already star-studded cast, led by Vampire Diaries actress Kat Graham as Diana Ross and Love Jones actor Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy.
In the Vampire Diaries and other television shows, Graham boasts an extensive filmography, including a turn as Jada Pinkett Smith in Benny Boom‘s 2017 Tupac biopic All Eyez On Me. She has also released four studio albums — most recently, 2022’s Long Hot Summer — and made several appearances on the Billboard charts. In 2012, her Against the Wall EP debuted and peaked at No. 4 on Heatseekers Albums. At the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards, Graham announced her upcoming new single, “World Song” (with will.i.am).
Diana Ross, the music icon who Motown handpicked to official introduce the Jackson 5, remains an active figure in the entertainment industry. In 2021, the Grammy winner released Thank You, her 25th studio album, which earned her a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album — her first since 1983. Last year, she surprised Beyoncé with a medley of “Love Hangover” and “Happy Birthday” at the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer’s Renaissance World Tour show at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium (Sept. 4, 2023).
Motown Records founder Berry Gordy — who helped transform the landscape of American music by introducing legendary actss such as The Temptations, Stevie Wonder and Gladys Knight and the Pips — will be brought to life by Larenz Tate. The beloved actor currently stars on the Starz’s Power Book II: Ghost, a spin-off of the 50 Cent-produced Power, which Tate starred on for six seasons.
In 2021, Gordy received the highly prestigious Kennedy Center Honors, and the following year, he was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.
The latest Michael casting annoucnement also trumpets Jessica Sula as Billboard charting-artist fifth Jackson sibling LaToya Jackson, Liv Symone as the iconic Billboard Hot 100-topping Gladys Knight, KeiLyn Durrel Jones as trusted MJ confidant Bill Bray and Kevin Shinick as the era-defining Dick Clark.
Kendrick Sampson, whose credits include Issa Rae’s Emmy-nominated Insecure, will star as famed Oscar and Grammy-winning producer and close MJ collaborator Quincy Jones. The new additions beef up an an already esteemed cast, including Oscar nominee Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, Laura Harrier and nine-year-old Juliano Krue Valdi as young Michael.
Currently in production, Michael — which stars Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, in the titular role — is currently slated for worldwide release on April 18, 2025. Training Day director Antoine Fuqua will helm the picture, while Oscar nominee John Logan handles the script. Co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate, John Branca and John McClain are producing the film alongside Oscar winner Graham King, with on-set assistance from Prince Jackson, the late singer’s eldest son, on behalf of his siblings.
The casting news comes just days after Blanket Jackson, the “Thriller” singer’s youngest son, going up against his grandmother, Katherine Jackson. In court filings obtained by Billboard, Blanket argued that the superstar’s estate should not foot the ball for her current legal debacle concerning a deal over her song’s $600 million catalog.
