Jaafar Jackson Joins Will Smith In Action Thriller ‘Supermax’

EXCLUSIVE: On the heels of his breakout turn as his late uncle Michael Jackson in Michael, the $1B+ grosser from Lionsgate, Jaafar Jackson has found his next project in Supermax, the action thriller from Amazon MGM Studios and Miramax.

Jackson joins the previously announced Will Smith and AnnaSophia Robb. The details of his role are being kept under wraps, but it’s said to be pivotal to the film’s central plot, revolving around two FBI agents (Smith & Robb) investigating a seemingly impossible murder within the impenetrable walls of a maximum-security prison.

David Gordon Green is directing from a script by David Weil and David J. Rosen. The Picture Company partners Andrew Rona & Alex Heineman are producing alongside Smith and Adam Fishbach for Westbrook Studios.

Scribes Weil and Rosen will exec produce alongside associate producer Natalie Laine Williams. Miramax CEO Jonathan Glickman, President of Film Alexandra Loewy, COO Thom Zadra, and SVP Spencer Ela will also exec produce, alongside James Lassiter and Miguel Melendez for Westbrook Studios.

CAA Media Finance brokered the deal between Miramax and Amazon MGM, which is closing a deal for worldwide distribution rights, with plans for Supermax to stream on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

Jackson garnered critical acclaim for his transformative turn as the King of Pop — no easy role to take on, and a highly personal one — in Michael, the film from Antoine Fuqua, which now stands as the highest grossing biopic of all time, ahead of Oppenheimer and Bohemian Rhapsody. He surely has plenty of offers coming in on the heels of his success there; stay tuned to see how he fills out his dance card.

Jackson is represented by CAA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.