Lionsgate’s Adam Fogelson Says ‘Michael 2’ Sequel Is Aiming for Late-2026 or Early-2027 Production Start

Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group chairman Adam Fogelson provided an updated production timetable for the studio’s planned sequel, “Michael 2,” telling analysts during a Q1 call that Lionsgate is targeting a production start toward the end of this year or early next. The update comes as the studio continues to shape the sequel’s development timeline for a highly anticipated follow-up to its earlier Michael Jackson biopic project, which has been closely followed by industry watchers and audiences interested in how such material is handled on screen.

Fogelson’s remarks, delivered as part of Lionsgate’s Q1 reporting and analyst discussion, focused on near-term planning rather than final dates. In the call, he said the company is “targeting a production start towards the end of this year or early next,” indicating the project remains aligned with an early-phase production window but not yet at a point where a fixed start date could be confirmed publicly.

While Deadline’s report centered on the production-start estimate, it also framed the company’s schedule thinking around when audiences might eventually see “Michael 2.” The article notes that Fogelson addressed timing expectations in the same analyst context, reflecting the reality that biopic sequels depend on multiple moving parts, including pre-production readiness and coordinated planning for post-production and release windows.

Lionsgate has not, in the information summarized by Deadline, committed to a specific release date. Instead, the studio’s communicated target functions as a planning benchmark. The statement places the sequel’s next major production milestone in the late-2026 to early-2027 range, with release timing to follow once production begins and the downstream schedule can be set.

The update also underscores the role major studios play in translating development timelines into investor-facing guidance. Analyst calls often serve as the forum where studios reconcile creative development progress with operational timelines, including production start targets that can affect broader studio planning, slate management, and marketing preparation.

In industry terms, “Michael 2” remains a project that will likely continue to draw attention as it moves from development into production. For audiences, the announced production-start estimate becomes the clearest publicly stated next step, even as additional announcements, including casting, production details, and marketing timelines, would be expected later in the process.

For Lionsgate, the schedule update is part of managing expectations around a sequel built on a subject with enduring global audience interest. The company’s current public guidance indicates that, as of the Q1 call reported by Deadline, “Michael 2” is being positioned to begin production near the end of 2026 or at the beginning of 2027, with further timing information to come as planning firms up.