Key Takeaways
- Lionsgate says the sequel to the billion-dollar Michael Jackson biopic Michael is officially moving ahead, aiming to start production by late 2026 or early 2027 and release it between late 2027 and mid-2028.
- Motion Picture Group Chairman Adam Fogelson says the studio will reuse several big musical sequences shot for the first film and is focused on delivering “the biggest, best sequel” at a smart budget, though full casting details—likely including Jaafar Jackson’s return—aren’t locked yet.
- The sequel plans follow Michael’s surprise $1 billion global run and a major Michael Jackson resurgence, with albums like Thriller and Bad surging in sales and catalog streams boosting Sony Music’s quarterly numbers.
The Michael sequel is officially moving forward, with Lionsgate now targeting a production start by the end of 2026 or early 2027.
During the studio’s latest earnings call, Motion Picture Group Chairman Adam Fogelson gave the clearest update yet on the follow-up to the billion-dollar Michael Jackson biopic, saying the company is aiming to get cameras rolling “towards the end of this year or early next year,” per Deadline. As for release timing, he said late 2027 or the first half of 2028 is currently the working window.
That does not mean every detail is locked. “We’re not ready to announce everything at the moment,” Fogelson cautioned, but the update confirms Lionsgate is well past the point of merely discussing a sequel.
One major advantage: the studio already has material in the vault.
“We do have a number of sequences, particularly some big musical sequences, that were shot previously, that are almost sure to be incorporated,” Fogelson said. He added that Lionsgate is currently focused on delivering “the biggest, best sequel” at the right cost.
That footage stems from the unusually expansive production of the first Michael. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson as his uncle, the film underwent major revisions before its April release, including costly reshoots after legal issues surfaced around material involving one of Jackson’s accusers.
The Jackson estate reportedly covered roughly $50 million in reshoot costs, but the production also left behind enough unused material to help form the backbone of a second movie.
Casting details for the sequel have not yet been formally announced, but Jaafar Jackson’s return would appear central given the first film’s structure and Lionsgate’s stated plans to continue the story.
The sequel update comes after Michael turned into a much bigger commercial force than even its early projections suggested. The film crossed $1 billion worldwide in July, becoming Lionsgate’s first release ever to reach that mark.
Universal handled much of the international rollout, generating more than $643 million overseas outside territories managed by Lionsgate’s own foreign sales arm.
The film also triggered a wider Michael Jackson resurgence. His catalog exploded across Billboard in the months after release, with Thriller, Bad, Off the Wall, Number Ones, and Xscape all posting major gains.
Sony Music felt that momentum too. The company recently reported a 22% jump in quarterly music sales, with Thriller and Bad among its top-performing recorded music projects.
