Lionsgate is targeting a release window of late 2027 or the first half of 2028 for the sequel to its Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, AllHipHop reported on August 8. Studio chairman Adam Fogelson told analysts on the company's Q1 earnings call that production could begin as soon as late 2026, per Billboard's report on the call.
Director Antoine Fuqua told Deadline that about a third of the footage shot for the first film never made the final cut and could be repurposed for the sequel, material that reportedly extends beyond the Jordan Chandler allegations and into 1995, when public opinion of Jackson began to shift.
The follow-up is expected to pick up where Michael left off in 1988, at the start of the Bad tour, and carry the story through Jackson's marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, the abuse allegations and trials that followed, and the aftermath of his 2009 death.
Michael has crossed $1 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing biopic in box-office history, surpassing both Bohemian Rhapsody and Oppenheimer. Fuqua said he wants to direct the sequel as well, telling Deadline in April, "It would kill me if somebody else did it," though Fogelson said the studio is not ready to share casting, budget or story details yet.
The sequel news comes as the Jackson estate has also been dealing with other legal matters this year, including a Cascio family lawsuit against the estate that a judge recently sent to arbitration.
The facts
- Lionsgate targets late 2027 or early 2028 for the sequel
- Production could start as soon as late 2026
- About a third of unused footage from the first film could be reused
- The sequel covers Jackson's post-1988 years
- Michael has crossed $1 billion worldwide
- Director Antoine Fuqua wants to direct the sequel too
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