- The highly anticipated follow-up of Michael is in the works.
- Lionsgate chief Adam Fogelson said the company is “really excited” about the project’s progress.
- The executive also revealed that a significant portion of the sequel is already completed
Michael, the biopic on Michael Jackson, moonwalked its way to box office success. Since then, there has been speculation about a sequel to the film. Now, Lionsgate, which produced the feature, has officially confirmed that the highly anticipated follow-up to the biopic is in the works.
During the studio's quarterly earnings call with investors and analysts on Thursday, Lionsgate chief Adam Fogelson said the company is “really excited” about the project's progress.
“We are really excited about the progress we're making with respect to a second ‘Michael' film,” Fogelson said, adding, “All the conversations that we've been having with all of the appropriate parties continue to go exceptionally well,” reported Variety.
The executive also revealed that a significant portion of the sequel is already completed. Fogelson reveals that some footage originally shot for the first film was cut, but it may now be used in the second installment.
“We think we've got 25 to 30% of a second movie already shot from the prior production activity, and so obviously that will have some financial benefit ultimately,” he said. “But we're going to make sure we make a big and satisfying movie for a global audience once again.”
What To Expect From Michael Sequel
The first part concludes during Jackson's 1987 Bad tour, leaving decades of the pop icon's later life and career unexplored. That includes blockbuster musical eras such as Dangerous as well as the controversies and allegations of child sexual abuse that followed him in later years.
Without directly addressing the allegations of child sexual abuse that shadowed Jackson's life, Fogelson hinted that the sequel could delve into several untouched moments from the singer's journey.
“There is a ton of incredibly entertaining Michael Jackson story, and much of the biggest and most popular parts of his music catalog that were not touched upon in the first film,” he said, adding, “There are so many other events that happened, even in the time frame of the original movie that weren't touched upon, so we're very, very confident that we've got an incredibly entertaining movie that will appeal once again to a global audience as the pieces come together.”
He also suggested the sequel may not follow a strictly chronological format. “We can go forwards and backwards in telling this story,” Fogelson teased.
Michael's Success
Michael, made under the direction of filmmaker Antoine Fuqua, was released last month. He biopic had a roaring box-office triumph and it became the second-highest-grossing biopic of all time behind Bohemian Rhapsody.
Produced on a reported budget of more than $155 million, the film has grossed over $700 million globally, making it one of the biggest box office hits of 2026.