*Talk of a sequel to the “Michael” biopic is picking up momentum after the film’s strong $97 million domestic opening, with Lionsgate vice chair Adam Fogelson saying production could begin as early as this year or next.
Speaking on The Town With Matt Beloni podcast, Fogelson said Michael Jackson’s life offers more than enough material for another installment. “There is a massive amount of music, some of his greatest music, and life experiences separate and apart from [sexual abuse] allegations, a ton of that would fill more than a second movie on its own,” he said, Billboard reports.
The first film focuses on Jackson’s rise through 1988 and does not cover later controversies involving sexual abuse allegations made by Jordan Chandler in the early 1990s. Those events were excluded due to legal restrictions tied to a prior agreement with the Jackson estate.
Fogelson pointed to audience response as a key factor in the film’s success. “It turns out the general public really wanted to see a movie that did not engage with those allegations and celebrated the man and his music and the, you know, the trajectory to the top,” he said.
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Questions remain about how a sequel would be structured, with Belloni noting the challenge of continuing the story while navigating legal limitations. “How do you make a second move and dramatize all that without alienating the audience that came to the first movie?” he asked.
Fogelson acknowledged the difficulty but said there are still creative paths forward. “But continuing to get a deeper understanding of who Michael was, I think there are any number of ways the filmmakers will be able to pull that off,” he said.
The film ends with a “His Story Continues” title card, and director Antoine Fuqua has said unused footage could also support a sequel.
Listen to Fogelson’s conversation on the podcast below.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: ‘Michael’ Sequel Faces a Legal Standstill Over the 1993 Jordan Chandler Settlement
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