The Michael Jackson movie has become a bigger hit than anyone expected, with some even declaring that the film could “save movie theaters”. The 2026 biopic has already made back its entire $200 million budget in just one weekend. Imagine how much it will make by the end of its run? It seems those billion-dollar predictions weren’t an exaggeration at all. With that success, the studio is already pushing to get working on Michael 2.
Now, the film has reached another milestone. After earning an additional $13.6 million over the latest weekend — $5.4 million of which came from Japan — Michael has climbed to $959.6 million globally, overtaking The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug on the all-time chart. It now sits at number 72, making it the highest-grossing music biopic ever — dethroning Bohemian Rhapsody — and Lionsgate’s biggest film of all time. The only 2026 release ahead of it is The Super Mario Galaxy Movie at $1.07 billion. A billion-dollar finish is still very much on the table, though the film has been available digitally since June 9. Critics remain divided (38% on Rotten Tomatoes), but a 97% verified audience score tells the real story. If you haven’t yet, check out what Paris Jackson made of it.
Although we heard plenty of reports about all the mini-disasters that happened during the production – like the film being reworked after legal threats from past Michael Jackson accusers and directing Antoine Fuqua quitting and returning – the good news is that at least 30% of Michael 2 has been filmed (which can be verified by all the leaked images online and also the unused footage that appeared in the film’s first trailer).
Critics banked on Michael (the most expensive biopic ever made) being a complete failure, with plenty saying that the film doesn’t work and that a sequel was probably out of the question. Well, they were wrong, and it looks like everyone will be back on set to finish the second film soon.
Except that Antoine Fuqua probably won’t be there. But it’s not because he has beef with the estate or the film studio. It’s because he is currently tied up with a Netflix project about Hannibal with Denzel Washington. That means the studio will need to find a new director and fast. But plenty of insiders believe they’ve already done that and that producer Graham King will step in to complete the vision for the next film.
King is the guy who actually managed to save Bohemian Rhapsody a few years ago and make it a global hit.
During a recent chat on The Town podcast with Matt Belloni, Lionsgate boss Adam Fogelson confirmed that producer Graham King is eager to shoot Michael 2 this year. When Belloni suggested that he would direct it, Fogelson didn’t shoot down the idea.
But that’s not surprising. Jeff Sneider suggests that King actually took control of reshoots on Michael while Fuqua stayed in the background.
So, yes, Michael 2 is definitely happening. And why wouldn’t it? Given all the hype surrounding the film — from sold-out limited edition popcorn buckets to a fanbase hungry for more of the King of Pop’s story — and his music being playlisted on radio stations again, it would be a sin not to do another one. Did you know that Michael Jackson had a Batman statue at Neverland, and that his favourite superhero was Morph from the X-Men? The man still has stories left to tell.
RELATED: 10 Secrets The 2026 Michael Jackson Movie Doesn’t Reveal About The Star
