Lionsgate has hinted that a follow-up to the Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, could already be partially completed, with studio executive Adam Fogelson disclosing that close to one-third of the sequel may have been filmed during earlier production.
Speaking to Variety, the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chairman explained that unused scenes from the original movie could be repurposed for a second instalment focused on the late pop legend’s life and career.
“We think we’ve got 25 to 30% of a second movie already shot from the prior production activity,” Fogelson said, adding that the existing footage could provide financial benefits as development progresses.
He stated that the studio’s aim remains to deliver “a big and satisfying movie for a global audience.”
The first film, Michael, stars Jaafar Jackson as the King of Pop and is directed by Antoine Fuqua.
Reports suggest the movie concludes in 1988, before the most controversial period of Jackson’s life, including the child sexual abuse allegations that continued to surround his legacy. Jackson was acquitted of child molestation charges in 2005, although the accusations resurfaced in the 2019 HBO documentary Leaving Neverland.
Fogelson did not confirm whether the sequel would address those allegations directly, but hinted it could explore events and music from Jackson’s later years that were absent from the first movie.
