Key Takeaways
- Fans, including Ryan Garcia, want Antoine Fuqua to direct Michael 2 after his first Michael Jackson biopic became the first biopic to surpass $1 billion worldwide.
- Fuqua said he wants to return if scheduling allows, and the collapse of his Netflix epic Hannibal could clear the way for him to tackle the sequel’s heavier material.
- California awarded the sequel a $30.8 million tax credit, while Lionsgate aims to begin filming in late 2026 or early 2027 for a possible release by early 2028.
The King of Pop's next chapter just scored a $30.8 million boost from California. On Oct. 7, Gov. Gavin Newsom's office announced tax credits for 35 films, with Michael 2 securing the second-largest allocation behind an untitled Pixar project.
The major backing makes sense, considering the original became the first biopic ever to cross $1 billion worldwide. So it's no surprise fans want the director behind that record run back for the encore.
Antoine Fuqua has yet to be confirmed for the sequel, but he's getting plenty of love this week as his 2001 classic Training Day returned to theaters for its 25th anniversary.
"Fuqua making history all year long 🏆," one commenter wrote under a recent WorldStar Instagram post about the re-release. Another thanked @antoinefuqua "for that genuis masterpiece 🔥🔥🔥."
Los Angeles photographer and creative director Cory Anne Roberts popped up in the comments section too, cheering, "King Fuqua at it again! Excited for Michael 2 also👑🙏🏽"
Even boxing star Ryan Garcia got in on the hype. "Antoine is the 🐐 Michael 2 about to be crazy," he commented.
Reddit has been making the same case for months. In a discussion about which members of the original team should return, one commenter insisted, “Antoine Fuqua has to direct the sequel, 100%.” Another made the box-office argument in a separate thread debating potential directors. “Fuqua. He crafted a film that got to a $billion. Why would you want to replace him.”
Michael producer Graham King was singing his praises long before the box-office numbers rolled in. When Fuqua was hired in 2023, King pointed to his knack for finding the human side of “larger-than-life characters.” He even flew to Italy to pitch Fuqua on the film, the director later recalled.
Fuqua has made it clear he'd love to return. “I would like to, it's just about scheduling. It would kill me if somebody else did it,” he told Deadline in April.
Puck reported in May that King himself had considered directing the sequel while Fuqua was committed to Hannibal, a Netflix epic starring Denzel Washington. But production was paused in June over budget concerns, and cinematographer Robert Richardson told Deadline weeks later that the project "fell through," potentially freeing Fuqua for another round.
Whoever directs could have some heavier material to navigate. The first film originally included scenes about the 1993 child sexual abuse allegations against Jackson, who publicly denied them at the time and settled Jordan Chandler’s civil lawsuit in 1994 without admitting wrongdoing. But according to Variety, filmmakers later discovered a clause in that settlement barring Chandler from being depicted or mentioned onscreen, forcing them to scrap those scenes.
Jaafar Jackson, who's expected to reprise the title role, hopes the sequel explores the allegations from his uncle's perspective. “I think the second film will give even more insight from his point of view,” he told GQ Middle East in August. “And that’s really the issue we’ve been having as a family – not having Michael’s voice being heard. I think that’s very, very important, especially in the late years.”
Lionsgate is aiming to begin filming in late 2026 or early 2027, with a possible release in late 2027 or the first half of 2028. Meanwhile, Fuqua and his Michael collaborators have another reason to celebrate. On Oct. 16, the Gotham Film & Media Institute announced that the original film's cast and creative team will receive a musical tribute at its November awards ceremony.
