The casting of Joseph Fiennes as Michael Jackson in a new, made for TV comedy special is sparking outrage in many camps.

According to E! Online, the plot of the Sky Channel special is about an unconfirmed road trip back to California the King of Pop is rumored to have taken with Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

A representative for the Sky Arts Company manning the project later confirmed it is in the works, adding that it has been titled "Elizabeth, Michael & Marlon."

The British-born Fiennes is best known for his role in the film "Shakespeare in Love." News of him being cast as the black Jackson comes as a big of surprise to him as it does anyone.

"I'm a white, middle-class guy from London," he told ET Online. "I'm as shocked as you may be."

Jackson died in 2009 at age 50 from an accidental overdose of medications he was taking while under the care of a private physician.

In the days leading up to his demise, he suffered from a skin condition known as vitiligo, which caused him to look lighter and lighter. After his death, a search of his home turned up 30 tubes of skin whitening creams.

"He was probably closer to my color than his original color," Fiennes said of Jackson at the time of his death.

Still, news of Jackson's role being filled by a white actor sparked outrage and comes at a time of ongoing criticism leveled at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences over the lack of diversity among the nominees of this year's Oscars.

The Jackson project is based on a 2011 Vanity Fair article titled, "Liz Taylor, Michael Jackson, and Marlon Brando Star in...Escape from New York!"

Neither of them ever publicly spoke about their so-called excursion prior to their deaths. The night before the 9/11 attacks, Jackson performed at his 30th anniversary celebration in Madison Square Garden.

"It's a tongue-in-cheek, fun, light look at three wonderful characters that we know," said Fiennes. "Some say it's an urban legend and our story basically says that it happened."

Stockyard Channing has been cast to play the part of Taylor and Scottish actor Brian Cox will portray Brando.

Jackson's family has not publicly commented on the news.

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