Michael Jackson’s Iconic Popcorn Meme Recreated by Biopic Star

Although movie critics haven’t loved the new Michael Jackson biopic, general audiences have really enjoyed it. To mark the positive response, Jaafaar Jackson, who plays Michael in the film, recreated a famous meme featuring his uncle happily eating popcorn.

Critics gave the movie Michael a 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences loved it, giving it a score of 97% and a “Verified Hot” badge. The official movie account on X (formerly Twitter) celebrated the high audience score by sharing a video of Jaafar Jackson, who plays Michael Jackson in the film, enjoying popcorn and smiling while wearing a replica of his uncle’s iconic red Thriller jacket – a nod to a popular meme.

A popular GIF of Michael Jackson happily eating popcorn in a movie theater is often shared online. People usually use it to show they’re watching a dramatic situation unfold – like an online argument – without getting involved themselves. The GIF is taken from his 1983 short film for the song “Thriller,” where he’s seen watching a horror movie on a date.

The movie Michael is getting rave reviews from audiences, and it’s predicted to have a record-breaking opening weekend for music biopics. Experts believe it could earn over $60 million, which would be higher than the $60 million debut of Straight Outta Compton in 2015. If the film reaches $700 million worldwide, a sequel exploring more of Michael Jackson’s life and career is likely. The current movie focuses on his life up to 1988, meaning there’s still a lot of his story left to tell.

Antoine Fuqua directed the new Michael Jackson biopic, with Jaafar Jackson – Michael’s nephew – portraying the iconic singer. The film also stars Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, Juliano Krue Valdi, Laura Harrier, Jamal R. Henderson, Tre Horton, Rhyan Hill, Joseph David-Jones, and Jayden Harville. The screenplay was written by John Logan.

Michael is now playing in movie theaters.

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2026-04-26 01:41