Jaafar Jackson spent an enormous amount of time learning how to move like his uncle for Michael.
Director Antoine Fuqua revealed that some performance sequences required Jaafar to repeat entire songs 20 or 30 times in a day, sometimes until his feet were bleeding.
Yet not everything he filmed survived the final edit.
Two of the clearest missing musical sequences spotted in promotional and behind-the-scenes material are “Heartbreak Hotel” – later renamed “This Place Hotel” and “Man in the Mirror.” Footage connected to both performances was seen during the movie’s promotional campaign, but neither complete performance appears in the theatrical cut.
“Heartbreak Hotel” is especially interesting because Michael wrote the Jacksons song himself and continued performing it during his solo Bad World Tour. Jaafar apparently recreated a performance for the film, only for that sequence to be removed during editing.
“Man in the Mirror” would have made an equally powerful addition.
The song became a No. 1 hit in 1988 and was one of the defining numbers of Michael’s Bad era. Promotional material indicated that Jaafar had filmed Michael performing it on tour, yet the finished movie closes its concert story primarily around “Bad.”
Michael Official Trailer
The official trailer gives fans a glimpse of how extensively Jaafar recreated Michael’s performances and appearance for the production.
Normally, deleted performances might simply remain locked away.
But Michael is getting a continuation, and that changes everything.
Lionsgate film chief Adam Fogelson confirmed in August 2026 that production on the follow-up is expected to begin in late 2026 or early 2027, targeting a theatrical release around late 2027 or the first half of 2028.
Even more importantly, Fogelson revealed that the studio already has “a number of sequences, particularly some big musical sequences” filmed previously that are almost certain to be incorporated into the next movie.
Earlier, Lionsgate indicated that roughly 25 to 30 percent of a potential sequel was effectively already shot, giving the filmmakers a considerable amount of unused material to work with.
The studio has not officially confirmed that “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Man in the Mirror” will specifically appear in Michael 2, so that part remains speculation.
But we now know two things: Jaafar filmed major Michael material audiences never received, and Lionsgate intends to reuse previously shot musical sequences.
That means all those hours of preparation may not have been wasted after all.
Fans who wondered what happened to Jaafar’s missing Michael Jackson performances may finally get their answer when the King of Pop’s story continues.