Lionsgate Offers Major Progress Report on ‘Michael’ Sequel

The sequel to Michael is moving forward and things are going “exceptionally well,” according to Lionsgate executives.

In a quarterly earnings call on Thursday, May 21, Lionsgate film chief Adam Fogelson said negotiations with key talent are off to a positive start, Variety reported.

“We are really excited about the progress we’re making with respect to a second Michael film,” Fogelson stated. “All the conversations that we’ve been having with all of the appropriate parties continue to go exceptionally well.”

The studio executive said the second installment of the Michael Jackson biopic will feature the King of Pop’s “most popular” songs.

“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 catalog that were not touched upon in the first film,” Fogelson explained.

“There are so many other events that happened, even in the time frame of the original movie that weren’t touched upon,” he continued. “So we’re very, very confident that we’ve got an incredibly entertaining movie that will appeal once again to a global audience as the pieces come together.”

A press release from Lionsgate said the studio’s fortunes are looking up this year, thanks largely to two blockbuster films.

“The Housemaid and Michael are strengthening our brand and increasing our forward visibility,” said Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer.

The Housemaid from director Paul Feig debuted in December 2025. The thriller starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried went on to earn $401.7 million worldwide against a reported $35 million production budget.

Meanwhile, Michael opened in April 2026 and to date has earned $715.7 million globally against a $155 million-$200 million budget. Last weekend, the film from director Antoine Fuqua and producer Graham King returned to the top spot at the box office.

While fans continue to flock to the film, critics continue to bash it for leaving out the most controversial aspects of Jackson’s life.

The authorized biopic stars the late music legend’s  nephew, Jaafar Jackson, in the title role. Colman Domingo, Nia Long, and Miles Teller round out the main cast.