Michael Jackson’s Iconic Popcorn Meme Recreated by Biopic Star

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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