Janet Jackson is releasing a film centered on her iconic 1986 album Control.
Titled Janet Jackson: Control 40, the documentary will capture the 60-year-old icon performing the entire album live from Amerant Bank Arena in Florida, with the shoot scheduled for December 12 using multiple cameras.
In her own words, the star explained that the show will be a completely refreshed production — fresh costumes, a redesigned stage, and perhaps a peek behind the scenes of the album’s creation. The project will be filmed as a feature, ensuring that the moments they share are remembered for decades to come.
The live set will also feature selections from across Janet’s expansive catalog.
Control became her first album to top the Billboard 200 in the United States, and it yielded an extraordinary run of hits. Five singles — What Have You Done for Me Lately, Nasty, When I Think of You, Control and Let’s Wait Awhile — climbed into the top five of the Hot 100. This achievement made her the first woman to score five top-five singles from a single album, with When I Think of You giving her the first Hot 100 chart-topper. The era also set a new benchmark on the Hot 100, as Control produced a continuous 65-week stretch of charting singles.
News of the film follows Jaafar Jackson’s claim that his aunt Janet has her own biopic in the works.
The That’s The Way Love Goes singer reportedly declined to participate in the film about her late brother—who died in 2009—and her nephew recently explained he thinks she preferred to be left out to avoid complications for her own movie plans.
Speaking to GQ Middle East, Jaafar — who will reprise his role as the late King of Pop in a sequel to Michael — said: “I don’t want to speak too early, but Janet has ideas of maybe doing her own film.”
“So having someone portrayed in this and then choosing a different actor for her own is just…
Jaafar also reflected on how emotional his family was when they saw an early screening of footage from Michael.
He said: “I didn’t want to be in the room, but I was like, I should, just because it’s a lot to take in, especially portraying your family member and then having all your family there.”
“There were some sniffles, a few cousins getting emotional,” added the actor. “And after it ended, I just got so many hugs and a lot of support… It was a relief, because there was a lot of worry as to how it was going to be done. But once they saw my portrayal, it was a huge relief.”
Michael and Janet’s sister LaToya Jackson, 69, previously explained her younger sibling had “kindly declined” to be involved with director Antoine Fuqua’s movie.
