Joseph Fiennes to play Michael Jackson in 9/11 'urban legend' road trip tale

British actor Fiennes, who is white, best known for playing the Bard in the film Shakespeare in Love and seen on TV's American Horror Story, is slatedto portray the iconic African-American pop star in a short, 30-minute TV film.

Elizabeth, Michael & Marlonwas commissioned by the U.K.'s Sky Arts, which confirmed the casting Wednesday and said the project was in post-production,due to air this year.

The channel said it was "part of a series of comediesabout unlikely stories from arts and cultural history."

It's a fun, light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek road trip of what celebrity of that kind is like. But also it's rather beautiful and poignant about their relationships as well.- Joseph Fiennes

"I got the script the other day it's a challenge," Fiennes told WENN (World Entertainment News Network) in an online interview published late Monday.

According to Fiennes, American actress Stockard Channing is set to portray screen siren Taylor, while Scottish actor Brian Cox will appear as movie legend Brando.

"It's a fun, light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek road trip of what celebrity of that kind is like. But also it's rather beautiful and poignant about their relationships as well."

'Escape from New York'

According to Mendelson, Jackson had invited the two Hollywood stars (two of his closest friends) to join him at concerts in New York in September 2001. The trio, finding themselves grounded and unable fly back to California after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, allegedly chose to rent a car and attempt to drive home.

In the interview, Mendelson claims they made it as far as Ohio.

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Jackson said he suffered from the conditionvitiligo,which caused him to havepatchy loss of skinpigmentation and which he blamed for hislightenedcomplexionas he aged.

In a statement, Sky said it"puts the integrity of the creative vision at the heart of all its original commissions.

"We believe in giving producers the creative freedom to cast roles as they wish, within the diversity framework which we have set."

News of the project rippled throughsocial media, with people alternately angry, confused and skeptical.