Michael 2 update: Lionsgate boss reveals production likely to begin this year; check when will it release

Lionsgate is already working on the upcoming sequel to the Michael Jackson biopic, Michael. Bringing back Jaafar Jackson in the titular role, the cameras will start rolling for the sequel sooner than you think. By the end of this year or the beginning of 2027, production work for Michael will begin, as shared by the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chairman Adam Fogelson.

Michael 2 production work to begin soon

According to Deadline, Adam Fogelson opened up about the studio’s Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, during an earnings call. He shared that “we are targeting a production start towards the end of this year or early next.”

“As far as when we’ll see the sequel to Lionsgate’s highest grossing $1 billion-plus movie, Fogelson shared “, I think that end of calendar ’27 and the first half of calendar ’28 would be the current thought of roughly where the movie would go,” he added.

Fogelson also quipped, “We’re not ready to announce everything at the moment.”

Budget

Fogelson also was questioned about the profit-sharing structure of the first film, including its revenue split with the Jackson estate and Universal, which handled international distribution, added the report. Analysts reportedly sought details on the sequel's budget as a significant portion of footage had already been shot during the production of the first film.

“We do have a number of sequences, particularly some big musical sequences, that were shot previously, that are almost sure to be incorporated, but we are mostly focused right now on how to make sure we can deliver, at the right price, the biggest, best sequel,” Deadline quoted Fogelson, adding, “That is what the audience is going to want and deserve after the experience we gave them the first time. So we’re not ready to give guidance on the budget yet, but we certainly will be able to take advantage of some stuff that we previously shot, as I had said before."

For the unversed, Michael was initially slated to release in November 2025. Later, it was pushed to the last weekend of April 2026 after production ran into reported issues.

During filming, the Jackson estate reportedly failed to flag the inclusion of one of the late pop star's accusers in the script written by John Logan. As the sequence had already been filmed, the production underwent reshoots costing an estimated $50 million, which was borne by the Jackson estate, reported Deadline.

Despite the delay and additional costs, a significant amount of footage from director Antoine Fuqua's film and producer Graham King's production became the groundwork for a sequel, as revealed during the call.

Profit margins

Fogelson explained that Lionsgate sees the profitability of its films in a ten-year cycle, emphasising that Michael will have “a long tail.”

Universal accounted for the total of Michael's $643.7 million overseas box office, excluding Russia, the CIS region and Japan, as these international markets were handled by Lionsgate's foreign sales arm. Fogelson also said, “There’s nothing unusual as far as profit being shared among participants.”

Michael focuses on the early life of the American singer Michael Jackson, including his childhood with the Jackson 5, the Bad World Tour in the late 80s and more. It stars Jaafar Jackson, Nia Long, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Laura Harrier, Jessica Sula, Mike Myers, Miles Teller and Colman Domingo.