Michael Jackson Estate only executor John Branca briefly stopped to speak with paparazzi while heading to lunch in Los Angeles with his newlywed new wife, Kristina Tučkutė, sharing his thoughts on the record-breaking success of Michael and even hinting at the possibility of a sequel.
The “producer” of the film was approached after Michael became the first biographical film in history to surpass the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office.
The achievement also made Michael the first Lionsgate film ever to reach $1 billion, while surpassing Bohemian Rhapsody as the highest-grossing music biopic of all time and Oppenheimer as the highest-grossing biopic ever released.
Branca, who has long been known for aiming to make history with Michael Jackson-related projects, reflected on the film’s latest milestone before teasing what could come next.
When asked about the growing calls from audiences for a sequel, Branca replied that nothing has been decided yet, but his next comment was particularly interesting.
“First billion-dollar biopic. Could it be the first biopic with a sequel?”
While he quickly added that “nothing’s set yet,” the remark is the strongest indication so far that a continuation of Michael is at least being considered behind the scenes. Branca has often spoken about breaking new ground with Michael Jackson projects, making the idea of creating the first major biopic franchise an appealing prospect.
The conversation also turned to the performances in the film, particularly Miles Teller, who portrays Branca himself. While praising Teller’s performance, Branca made it clear that he believed the entire cast deserved recognition.
“Incredible. Listen, everybody in that cast did. Jaafar deserves an Academy Award. Colman Domingo, everybody. Miles, Nia Long, everybody. Graham King, Antoine Fuqua… what a team.”
Branca’s strongest praise was reserved for Jaafar Jackson, whose portrayal of his uncle has been widely praised by fans and critics alike. Saying that Jaafar deserves an Academy Award is perhaps the biggest endorsement yet from one of the film’s producers as awards season discussions begin.
With Michael continuing to break records around the world, Branca’s comments will undoubtedly fuel speculation about whether audiences will eventually see the story continue on the big screen.
A sequel has not been officially announced, but if Branca’s latest remarks are anything to go by, the conversation is certainly no longer off the table.
