Overview
- On Thursday Lionsgate motion picture chief Adam Fogelson told investors the studio is aiming to begin production in late 2026 or early 2027 and to release the film in late 2027 or the first half of 2028.
- The studio has discussed timing publicly but has not issued a formal greenlight or released any budget guidance for the sequel.
- Fogelson said several large musical sequences filmed for the first Michael will almost certainly be incorporated into the follow‑up, a move the studio says will speed production and reduce costs.
- The sequel’s creative scope remains unsettled because a settlement clause found during the first film’s post‑production forced the removal of planned third‑act material about an accuser, and that legal limit will shape what later allegations can be depicted.
- After the first film became a roughly $1 billion global hit and the highest‑grossing biopic, Lionsgate faces strong audience expectations and financial pressure to deliver a larger, carefully managed sequel.