History has officially been made. The spectacular Michael film has officially become the highest-grossing music biopic of all time. It has earned an incredible $911.9 million worldwide, completely surpassing Bohemian Rhapsody’s old record. The King of Pop reigns supreme once again.
The smash-hit movie is now the second highest-grossing biopic in cinema history, sitting proudly right behind Oppenheimer.
Following this historic box office run, Lionsgate officially confirmed that a massive sequel is already in active development. The studio dropped an exciting bombshell, revealing that 25% to 30% of the second film has already been shot using rare, unreleased footage captured during the original production.
Michael | Official Trailer
But fans everywhere are already asking the big questions. What will the second part of the biopic be like? Will it be a fun musical spectacle like the first half, or will it dive straight into the messy, scandalous latter half of Michael’s life?
The exciting truth is that the sequel will balance both worlds. It will continue to heavily feature Michael’s untouchable musical legacy.
Lionsgate Motion Picture Chair Adam Fogelson stated that large portions of Jackson’s biggest music catalog were intentionally left out of the first film to save them for the second part. Fans can expect to see the creation and world tours of iconic, later albums like Dangerous, HIStory, and Invincible.
Head of Lionsgate Confirms ‘Michael’ Sequel is in Development
The movie will also bring massive, unadapted career milestones to life on the big screen, including his legendary 1993 Super Bowl halftime show performance. It will be a wild, beautiful celebration of his music that will make the fans go crazy in the theaters all over again.
Because the first film concluded in the late 1980s during the Bad World Tour, the sequel will inherently step right into the most turbulent eras of Michael’s life. The filmmakers have a unique dramatic puzzle to put together.
Director Antoine Fuqua revealed that highly intense, raw scenes regarding Jackson’s personal controversies, including a police raid on Neverland Ranch and invasive strip searches were actually filmed during the original production before the third act was retooled. This dark footage will be utilized to show his real pain.
If Michael 2 came out, this better be the intro
To navigate complex real life legal restrictions stemming from Michael’s 1993 court settlements, the writers are using clever creative maneuvering. Rumors from industry insiders suggest the script may dynamically blend elements of the 1993 and 2003 allegations into a single, cohesive dramatic trial focus. This avoids legal hurdles while still capturing the heavy emotional toll the events took on his life.
Furthermore, the sequel will feature a non-linear timeline. It will have the unique narrative freedom to go forwards and backwards in telling the story, flashing back to unseen gold-era moments while anchoring the main timeline in his final years leading up to 2009.
Lionsgate is moving rapidly to secure the returning cast, including breakout superstar Jaafar Jackson for a targeted theatrical launch.
The sequel will prove to a new generation that true greatness cannot be hidden away by scandal. By showing both his unparalleled musical confidence and his deep human vulnerabilities, the next chapter will give fans the complete, satisfying portrait of a man who changed the world forever, ensuring the King of Pop keeps his crown for eternity.