Joseph Fiennes plays Michael Jackson in first Urban Myths trailer

Game of Thrones’ Iwan Rheon stars as Hitler

In January last year, Sky Arts announced Joseph Fiennes would play Michael Jackson in an upcoming series, numerous critics taking issue with the casting decision.

Despite the backlash, Sky and Fiennes continued on together, the first footage of which has finally reached the internet.

Titled Urban Myths: A Brand New Collection of Comedies, the Ben Palmer-directed series tells various “true-ish stories” from the last century, including Elizabeth Taylor (Stockard Channing), Marlon Brando (Brian Cox), and Michael Jackson’s fabled journey from back to the West Coast following 9/11.

The other stories being told remain slightly more ambiguous, one centring on Hitler (Game of Thrones’ Iwan Rheon) and “Hitler’s friend” (Harry Potter star Rupert Grint) as they work on some early artwork.

Another features Bob Dylan (Eddie Marsan) looking for “Dave”, and another Cary Grant (Ben Chaplin) and Dr. Timothy Leary (Aidan Gillen) apparently taking LSD.

Following his casting, Fiennes defended the decision, saying Jackson’s skin colour “probably [became] closer to my colour than his original colour,” adding: “I’m a white, middle-class guy from London… I’m as shocked as you may be.”

In a highly publicised interview with Oprah, Jackson once said the idea of a white man playing him was 'horrifying'.