The first pictures of Joseph Fiennes as Michael Jackson are out, and, er…

Fans are NOT happy

joseph-fiennes-michael-jackson

by Emma Dodds |
Published on

The first images of Joseph Fiennes portraying the King of Pop Michael Jackson has been released, and MJ fans are NOT very happy.

Sky Arts released the trailer for their upcoming comedy series, Urban Myths, on Twitter last night, and the reaction they got was probably not what they were hoping for.

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©Sky Arts
joseph-fiennes-michael-jackson
©Sky Arts
joseph-fiennes-michael-jackson
©Sky Arts

This negative reaction follows last year's backlash to the news that Fiennes, a white actor, was cast in the role of Michael Jackson.

The director of the new TV show, which the channel has described as: "A brand new comedy series based on (mostly) true stories," has defended the decision.

Ben Palmer, who directed four episodes in the series, said: "We were casting Michael Jackson in 2001 and that obviously is a challenge in terms of the physical resemblance.

"We were really looking for the performance that could unlock the spirit, and we really think Joe Fiennes has done that. He's given a really sweet, nuanced, characterful performance.

"It's a really lovely, sweet film. I'm really looking forward to seeing how people react once they've actually seen it."

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Joseph with Stockard Channing as Elizabeth Taylor (Credit: Sky Arts) ©Sky Arts

Talking about the role, Joseph Fiennes told AFPTV: "I was shocked that they would come to me for the casting. I felt this was a wonderful challenge, I read the script and it's very funny.

"It's a satire, it's just a 20-minute satire. It's a sketch about a story that could have been a legend or could have been true."

What do you think of this? Is it ok for Joseph Fiennes to play Michael Jackson? Let us know over on Facebook and Twitter.

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