Michael Jackson Sequel Targets Late 2027 Release, Lionsgate Confirms

Lionsgate reveals a target release window for the Michael Jackson biopic sequel following the film’s billion-dollar run.

Michael Jackson’s story is heading back to theaters, and Lionsgate just laid out when fans can expect it. Studio chairman Adam Fogelson told analysts on the company’s Q1 earnings call that production on the “Michael” sequel could begin by late 2026 or early 2027.

He projected a release window of late 2027 or the first half of 2028, calling those dates “roughly” where things stand right now.

Fogelson made the comments during Thursday’s call, according to Billboard’s report on the earnings discussion.

Director Antoine Fuqua previously told Deadline that a third of the footage shot for the first film never made the final cut and could be repurposed for the follow-up. That unused material reportedly extends beyond the Jordan Chandler allegations and into 1995, when public opinion on Jackson began to shift.

The sequel is expected to pick up where the original left off, covering Jackson’s post-Bad years through the 1990s and 2000s.

That stretch includes his marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, the controversial abuse allegations and trials that dominated headlines, and the aftermath of his 2009 death. The first film ended its story in 1988, right as Jackson launched the Bad tour, and closed with a “His Story Continues” title card teasing more to come.

“Michael” has given Lionsgate every reason to keep going. The film crossed $1 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing biopic in box-office history, surpassing both Bohemian Rhapsody and Oppenheimer along the way.

Fuqua has said he wants to direct the sequel again, though nothing is locked in yet. “It would kill me if somebody else did it,” he told Deadline back in April.

Fogelson cautioned that the studio isn’t ready to share full details on casting, budget or story specifics just yet.

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