Get a first look at Joseph Fiennes as Michael Jackson in Urban Myths

Some time ago people got in a tiff when it was announced that Joseph Fiennes (SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, ENEMY AT THE GATES) would be playing Michael Jackson during the later years of his life in a TV movie alongside Stockard Channing as Elizabeth Taylor and Brian Cox as Marlon Brando. Controversial hubbub aside, it’s impossible to imagine Fiennes as the late popstar and not think, "Wow that's gonna be weeeeeeird." Though we get only a brief look at him in the first trailer for the Sky Arts series, Urban Myths, I think an odd, off-kilter performance is exactly what we’re gonna get.

Behold The Bard as the King of Pop below!

Like I said, people were upset when they cast the thespian as Jackson, but you can see the creators of the series had no intention of depicting any of these famous figures in a serious, dramatic light. I mean, you have Iwan Rheon (GAME OF THRONES) playing Hitler, Rupert Grint (HARRY POTTER) as “Hitler’s friend”, Eddie Marsan (THE WORLD’S END) as Bob Dylan and, again, Brian Cox as Marlon Brando. Seriously, Marlon f@cking Brando. But the thing is the series has a marvelpus cast and the trailer does its job of making it look appealing in the most absurd way, and I hope this anthology series of sorts makes its way to us on this side of the pond. Plus it's nice to see Grint in something. I like to know he's doing okay, you know?

URBAN MYTHS will air on Sky Arts sometime this year.