Some thought it would flop; others believed the controversies surrounding the legend would be its kryptonite. Yet here we are, and “Michael” is now a $1 billion movie.
Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic hit the milestone on Saturday, making it the first biopic ever to reach the billion-dollar mark. The symbolic nature of Jaafar Jackson’s film debut—his first acting role, portraying his uncle—becoming such a massive success is remarkable. Some believe Oscar nominations will come next. We’ll see.
Congratulations to Lionsgate for backing the project after other studios reportedly passed on it. It’s the studio’s first billion-dollar release, and the financial risk paid off. It was also something of a masterstroke for the Jackson estate, as the film revitalized the late musician’s brand while invigorating theaters this summer.
Many predicted the movie would flop because of the controversies surrounding Jackson. One Redditor even promised to eat a shoe if the film reached $1 billion. Now the only questions are: what size shoe will it be, and will it be leather?
Critics underestimated Jackson’s enduring global popularity, as packed screenings, off-the-cuff singalongs, and enthusiastic reactions spanning multiple generations trounced all the terrible reviews. And they were terrible: 38% on Rotten Tomatoes and 39 on Metacritic—to the point where countless think pieces questioned the relevance of critics.
Now the question remains: what will a sequel look like? Because “Michael 2” feels inevitable, especially with 30% of the footage already shot. Which periods of Jackson’s career can be covered without earning the wrath of the Jackson estate? The first film ended in 1988, right after “Bad” came out, barely tackling any of that album’s five No. 1 singles. The allegations that would plague the rest of Jackson’s career didn’t emerge until 1993, so technically, the producers might have an out here: make a sequel that takes place between 1988 and 1993.
Based on recent reports, the sequel will be shot in late 2026 or early 2027. No word yet on whether Fuqua will be back to direct.
Netflix has released amother teaser for David Fincher’s “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” sequel. No trailer yet, but it finally has a title: “The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth.”