The sequel to the Michael Jackson biopic will address the child abuse allegations against the late singer from his own perspective, according to his nephew Jaafar Jackson, who portrays him in the films. Speaking to GQ Middle East, the actor said the second installment will offer more insight into how Jackson viewed the accusations that dogged the final decades of his life.
«I think the second film will give even more insight from his point of view, because at the end of the day, [the allegations] are always from someone else's,» Jaafar said. «It's someone else's story. It's someone else's idea of what it is, and it's mainly driven by an agenda. And that's really the issue we've been having as a family – not having Michael's voice being heard. I think that's very, very important, especially in the late years.»
The first film, released earlier this year, follows Jackson from his early days with the Jackson 5 through the Bad world tour in the late 1980s. It notably omitted any reference to the child sexual abuse allegations, even though the story was part of the initial screenplay. A clause in a legal settlement barred the Jackson estate from mentioning one of the accusers, Jordan Chandler, forcing the production to spend $15 million on reshoots. The movie instead shifted its narrative tension onto Jackson's relationship with his father, Joe, played by Colman Domingo.
The sequel was confirmed earlier this month to begin filming later this year. Jaafar noted that the screenplay is still in development and that he has no real say in its story, but he is voicing what he would like to see. The actor's comments come as the Jackson estate continues to face scrutiny over the allegations, which it has adamantly and repeatedly denied.
The first Michael film has been a massive commercial success. It debuted to the largest opening weekend ever for a biopic and went on to become the highest-grossing biopic in history, surpassing Oppenheimer. Last month, it was confirmed that Michael had taken in $1.001 billion globally, making it the first film of its genre to cross that milestone.
The sequel's development unfolds against a backdrop of ongoing legal and public battles over Jackson's legacy. Earlier this summer, James Safechuck and Wade Robson, the two men featured in the documentary Leaving Neverland, were given a new trial date for 2028. Safechuck previously shared a statement in support of child sex abuse survivors amid the release of the biopic. Dan Reed, who directed Leaving Neverland, claimed this spring that Jackson was «worse than Jeffrey Epstein» and questioned why the film failed to address the allegations. Earlier this month, a child sex trafficking lawsuit against Jackson's estate was thrown out of court.
In a three-star review of Michael, NME called the film «a slick, accessible advert for Jackson's incredible imperial phase,» while noting that if the estate wanted to build a franchise, «they'll have their work cut out.» The sequel will now test whether that franchise can expand while confronting the most controversial chapter of Jackson's life.