Lionsgate has announced plans for a sequel to its hit Michael Jackson biopic Michael, despite the controversy surrounding the original film. Adam Fogelson, Lionsgate’s motion picture chair, revealed during a quarterly earnings call reported by Variety that preparations for the sequel are progressing well.
Sequel Development and Content
Fogelson stated, “I would say that there is a ton of incredibly entertaining Michael Jackson story, and much of the biggest and most popular parts of his music catalogue that were not touched upon in the first film. There are so many other events that happened, even in the time frame of the original movie that weren’t touched upon, so we’re very, very confident that we’ve got an incredibly entertaining movie that will appeal once again to a global audience.” The sequel may not follow a chronological order, allowing the story to move forwards and backwards in time.
Financial and Production Details
The original Michael film, released in April, achieved record-breaking box office figures in both the US and UK, with current worldwide revenue standing at $715.8 million (£533.2 million). The movie concludes with Jackson’s 1988 Wembley Stadium performance during his Bad tour. Fogelson noted that approximately 25 to 30% of the sequel has already been shot from prior production activity, which could reduce production costs.
Controversy and Challenges
The production of the first film faced challenges related to child sex abuse allegations against Jackson. Much of the original footage was scrapped after producers realized that the settlement between Jackson and accuser Jordan Chandler prevented Chandler from being depicted or mentioned. It remains unclear how the sequel will address these allegations, which first emerged in 1993. Fogelson suggested that unused footage from the first film could be repurposed for the sequel.
