A Fan Came Up With the Perfect Name for a Michael Jackson Biopic Sequel

‘Michael‘ spent this year becoming one of the biggest surprise success stories in recent box office history, and its box office dominance has already guaranteed the story is far from over. With Lionsgate confirming a follow-up is officially in the works, fans have started turning their attention to a much simpler question: what the sequel should actually be called.

The original film, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson as his real-life uncle, focused primarily on Michael Jackson’s rise from child star in the Jackson 5 to global solo superstar throughout the 1980s. That narrower scope left plenty of the pop icon’s later life untouched, setting up an obvious opportunity for a continuation once the first film proved itself commercially.

That continuation is now confirmed to be moving forward, and fans have started floating creative alternatives to the more predictable naming conventions being tossed around online. Rather than something straightforward like ‘Michael Part 2’ or ‘Michael 2’, one increasingly popular suggestion circulating among fans is simply titling the sequel ‘Jackson’.

The push for a sequel gained serious momentum almost immediately after the first film’s release. Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chairman Adam Fogelson confirmed during the studio’s quarterly earnings call that development on a second film was already actively underway, expressing genuine excitement about how the project was coming together and noting that conversations with all the relevant parties involved continue to go exceptionally well, in comments made during Lionsgate’s earnings call reported by Deadline.

That confidence was backed up by extraordinary box office numbers. ‘Michael’ opened to 97 million dollars domestically and 217 million dollars worldwide, an all-time record opening weekend for a music biopic, before eventually crossing more than 715 million dollars globally.

According to reporting on the sequel’s development, a substantial portion of unused footage from the original shoot, including concert material from Jackson’s Dangerous and Invincible tours, could end up forming as much as a third of the follow-up film. Producer Graham King has indicated that any sequel would shift its focus toward Jackson’s later creative periods, potentially covering the construction of Neverland Ranch and his well-documented love of animals.

That shift in time period is part of why fans pushing for a simpler title feel it fits so well. Since the original film already carries the name ‘Michael’ and focuses specifically on his rise to fame, a sequel exploring an entirely different chapter of his life and legacy could reasonably stand on its own name rather than being framed strictly as a numbered continuation.

Jaafar Jackson himself has expressed genuine enthusiasm about potentially reprising the role again, having previously indicated real interest in returning for a follow-up alongside King’s own hints about continuing ideas for the story. With the original film earning a 97 percent Popcornmeter score on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest ever recorded for a music biopic, the appetite for more clearly exists among audiences.

Whatever the studio ultimately decides to call it, the sequel’s greenlight alone marks a major moment for a project that spent years tangled in reshoots, legal complications, and shifting release dates before finally reaching theaters. For fans who have already fallen in love with Jaafar Jackson’s performance, the title debate is simply a fun distraction while they wait for official details to arrive.

‘Michael’ is currently playing in theaters, with a sequel in active development at Lionsgate.

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