Last year at CinemaCon, Lionsgate concluded its Las Vegas showcase with an unexpected preview of ‘Michael,’ creating a buzz in the Caesar’s Palace Coliseum and strong audience reactions. Producer Graham King shared that the Michael Jackson biopic would feature 30 songs and a substantial duration to fully honor Jackson’s legacy.

Presently, King and his team are considering a significant development for the film — expanding the biopic into two separate features. This idea, however, is still in its preliminary stages, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Recent updates about this potential two-part adaptation of Jackson's life follow rumors of production difficulties detailed in a January report by Puck. The report highlighted issues in the film’s third act, specifically regarding the portrayal of one of Jackson's accusers who, due to a prior settlement with the estate, should not have been depicted. Splitting the film into two parts might provide the necessary room to address and rectify these concerns.

King is advocating for this two-part approach. Nevertheless, this change would need approval from various stakeholders, including the Jackson estate, Lionsgate (the domestic distributor), and Universal (the international distributor). With these discussions still at an early stage, the movie's initial release date on October 3 might be postponed to accommodate the proposed changes.

Responses from Lionsgate and King were not available when sought for comment.

‘Michael,’ directed by Antoine Fuqua, stars Jaafar Jackson, a nephew of Michael Jackson. The cast also includes Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo. The script, penned by John Logan, and production helmed by King, John Branca, and John McClain, has already experienced a delay, moving from its original April 2025 release to October.

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