Lionsgate eyes ‘Michael 2’ shoot start by early 2027

Lionsgate is moving forward on a sequel to its Michael Jackson biopic “Michael,” with production targeted to begin late this year or in early 2027, the studio’s motion picture chief said this week.

Adam Fogelson, Lionsgate’s motion picture chief, told analysts on Thursday’s earnings call that the studio hopes to release the follow-up film by the end of 2027 or in the first half of 2028, according to Variety. The studio has not formally greenlit the project, though the original film, which grossed $1 billion worldwide this spring, closed with the words “His Story Continues,” signaling more installments to come.

Antoine Fuqua directed the first “Michael,” which starred Jackson’s real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson and traced the singer’s rise from the Jackson 5 to global stardom, ending with the opening leg of his Bad World Tour, which launched in September 1987 and ran into early 1989. It remains unclear what era of Jackson’s life the sequel will cover. Potential material includes his “Dangerous” album era as well as the child sexual abuse allegations that dogged Jackson for the rest of his life, Variety reported.

Those allegations were largely absent from the first film after a last-minute legal complication. Attorneys for the Jackson estate discovered a clause in a settlement with one of Jackson’s accusers barring his depiction in any movie, forcing the filmmakers to retool the script. Mr. Fogelson said some of the material cut from the original production could resurface in the sequel.

“We have a number of sequences, particularly some big musical sequences, that were shot previously,” Mr. Fogelson said, adding the studio is focused on delivering the sequel “at the right price.”

Mr. Fogelson also said the studio isn’t yet ready to share budget guidance, though it plans to draw on footage already shot for the first film, according to Variety.