Despite overwhelmingly negative reviews, “Michael” is a box-office hit, making $97 million domestically in its opening weekend, and will almost certainly find its legs this weekend. But with director Antoine Fuqua not returning to direct the sequel, who will step in to lead production on that film later this year?
Puck has the scoop there, and it may be producer Graham King. At first glance, that sounds like a bad idea, in no small part due to no directing credits to King’s name. But here’s what makes King a lot of sense: he was very much involved in the reshoots for “Michael,” piecing together its final cut, and in the myriad legal issues that forced Fuqua and Lionsgate to hone the film into a very different product than they initially intended. In short, King had a front-row seat to what a mess the production “Michael” ended up being, so he may be a perfect candidate for being behind the camera for “Michael: Part Two.”
Rumors are swirling as to why Fuqua won’t be back for Lionsgate’s circle, but the real reason for his exit may be more practical than anything else. It mainly comes down to the veteran director being committed elsewhere: helming Netflix‘s epic about ancient general Hannibal Barca, with Denzel Washington in the lead role. A reunion between Fuqua and his “Training Day” star surely sounds more appealing than another go-around in biopic land. However, it remains to be seen how Fuqua feels about someone else sifting through the other musical performances and sequences at Neverland Ranch that he shot that were cut from the final version of “Michael.” Maybe he doesn’t care at all, and wants to wash his hands of the biopic completely.
In any case, Fuqua will remain on board “Michael: Part Two” as a producer, but time will tell if King takes his seat in the director’s chair. The sequel will pick up where “Michael” left off in 1988; the original, planned three-hour version of the biopic didn’t end where the theatrical release did. Expect Lionsgate to stick to their current shooting schedule, though, given how well Fuqua’s film has performed in theaters. There’s a good chance the movie passes $400 million globally this weekend, and over $500-600 million for its entire theatrical run.
But according to Puck, there may be a couple of hitches involved in “Michael: Part Two” beyond the vacant director’s chair. For one, John Branca, co-executor of the Jackson estate, may not be willing to provide as much to the sequel’s budget; a legal oversight caused the budget of “Michael” to swell up to an estimated $200 million. Then there’s an issue of one of the movie’s stars, Nia Long, who plays Jackson’s mother Katherine in the film, battling with Lionsgate over money. The actress claims she was paid significantly less than co-stars Colman Domingo and Miles Teller, despite having a “favored nations” clause in her contract, meaning she could not be paid less than her fellow thespians. If that turns out to be true, that could be troubled for “Michael: Part Two,” and shooting could get pushed to 2027.
So, there are a lot of moving parts with Lionsgate’s follow-up to “Michael,” but if the film continues to thrive at the box office, then expect things to smooth out quickly. The studio has a cash cow on their hands, and they’re not going to waste that opportunity.
