Resolution Criteria

A second "Michael" film resolves YES if Lionsgate officially announces and confirms plans for a theatrical release of a second film covering additional portions of Michael Jackson's life and career. The market resolves NO if Lionsgate explicitly states they will not release a second film, or if no announcement of a confirmed second film is made by December 31, 2027. Resolution will be determined via official Lionsgate press releases or statements from studio executives.

Background

The original "Michael" film was split into two parts due to its 3½-hour length and because footage was shot centering around one of Jackson's accusers; their settlement with the singer's estate guaranteed they'd never be dramatized. The Michael Jackson biopic is directed by Antoine Fuqua and produced by Graham King, with a scheduled April 24, 2026 theatrical release. Lionsgate's Motion Picture Chair stated that while not yet ready to confirm plans for a second film, "the creative team is hard at work making sure that we're in a position to deliver more Michael soon after we release the first film."

Considerations

It remains unconfirmed where the first film will stop and how much of Jackson's later career will be explored, though previous reports suggested the movie would end somewhere in the 1980s.