*Jaafar Jackson says he hopes the developing sequel to “Michael” goes where the billion-dollar blockbuster did not — into Michael Jackson’s later years and the sexual-abuse allegations that became an inescapable part of his uncle’s complicated legacy.
The revelation comes in a wide-ranging new interview with GQ Middle East, where Jaafar reflects on three years spent portraying his uncle, his sudden fame and what he hopes audiences will see when Michael’s story continues.
Asked specifically how deeply the second film will address the allegations, Jaafar cautioned that the screenplay remains in development and that he does not control its scope.
Still, he knows what he wants from it.
“I think the second film will give even more insight from his point of view,” Jaafar told GQ Middle East.
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‘Michael 2’ Faces the Years the First Film Didn’t
That question carries unusual weight because the first “Michael” originally was designed to address the 1993 allegations.
As EURweb previously reported, filmmakers were forced to overhaul the movie after attorneys for the Michael Jackson estate discovered a provision in a settlement with accuser Jordan Chandler that prevented Chandler from being depicted or mentioned in a film. Variety reported that the complication resulted in a rewritten third act and extensive additional photography.
The released film instead concludes during Jackson’s “Bad” era, years before the first public sexual-abuse allegation against him.
Jackson denied allegations of sexual abuse during his lifetime. The 1993 civil case was settled without an admission of wrongdoing. In a separate criminal case years later, Jackson was acquitted in 2005 on all charges.
The sequel now faces the challenge of entering that later period without repeating the legal problems that reshaped its predecessor.
Lionsgate film chief Adam Fogelson said earlier this month that the studio hopes to begin production in late 2026 or early 2027. The first film crossed $1 billion globally, becoming the first biopic to reach that theatrical milestone.
Jaafar Says Michael’s Voice Has Been Missing
Jaafar’s comments make clear that he views the issue through the perspective of Michael’s family.
Speaking to GQ Middle East’s Frazier Tharpe, Jaafar characterized narratives surrounding the allegations as coming from other people and said they were “mainly driven by an agenda.”
That is Jaafar’s position, not an established finding about the allegations. But he says it explains what his family believes has been absent from decades of public discussion.
“That’s really the issue we’ve been having as a family — not having Michael’s voice being heard,” he said.
Jaafar stressed that he hopes the sequel provides a more complete picture of his uncle’s later life, while acknowledging that he does not decide what ultimately appears onscreen.
The question has remained culturally active well beyond the success of “Michael.” Netflix’s recent three-part series “Michael Jackson: The Verdict” revisited Jackson’s 2005 criminal trial and acquittal.
Private Journals Gave Jaafar Another Michael
Jaafar also revealed that preparing for the role gave him unusual access to Michael’s personal writings.
He told GQ Middle East that he studied journals his uncle kept into his final years, looking for details about Michael’s ambitions, business instincts and inner life. Jaafar said his preparation required separating the superstar he was researching from the relative he remembered simply as Uncle Michael.
One of his most poignant memories involves their final meeting.
Jaafar recalled a family anniversary dinner in Beverly Hills where Michael was excited about his upcoming “This Is It” concerts in London. He remembers sitting across from Michael and his father, Jermaine Jackson, as the brothers sang together.
“See you in July,” Jaafar remembers Michael telling him.
Michael died two months later, on June 25, 2009.
Jaafar Says Michael’s Story Isn’t Finished
The enormous commercial success of “Michael” guarantees considerably more attention on how the sequel handles the years ahead. Lionsgate has confirmed it is actively developing the follow-up, although its precise story and release date remain unsettled.
For Jaafar, completing the story appears to matter beyond simply returning to his breakthrough role.
“There’s so much more to Michael’s story,” he told GQ Middle East. “There’s so much to who Michael was and how he expressed himself.”
The first film made Jaafar Jackson a star while presenting Michael before the controversies that dominated his later public life. The sequel faces a much harder assignment: deciding how to tell those years at all.
Jaafar cannot make that decision himself. But he has now made clear whose voice he hopes the filmmakers will put at the center of it.
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