Puck’s Matt Belloni, who, it must be said, has a reputation for leaning on rumor more than verified fact, recently reported that the final version of “Michael” now concludes with Michael Jackson’s meteoric rise to superstardom in the 1980s, stopping before the turbulence, controversy, and the Neverland years that defined much of his later life.
That’s despite the fact that Fuqua reportedly shot two full weeks of footage at Neverland Ranch which, if true, would be scrapped completely.
Producer Graham King, however, isn’t throwing in the towel. He’s already laying the groundwork for a potential follow-up film that would focus on Michael Jackson’s “King of Pop” years, provided, of course, that “Michael” performs well at the box office. The plan would be to reunite the core cast, including Jaafar Jackson (Michael’s nephew, who portrays the man himself), Colman Domingo, and Miles Teller, and continue the story from where the first film leaves off.
The sequel only moves forward if “Michael” becomes a hit when it opens next April. If it doesn’t, the unused footage, reportedly hours of it, will go straight to the vault. Given that the Estate has been footing much of the bill for this production, that would mean swallowing a major financial loss.