The 2026 movie schedule has yielded some major films thus far, though few have arguably been as successful as Michael. Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic managed to dance around negative reviews and moonwalk its way to box office glory. If I’m being honest, I’m not exactly the biggest fan of the high-grossing flick, but I’ve still been thinking about it. I’ve specifically been thinking about how its structure could’ve been better, and I’m of the belief that it should’ve taken a cue from a certain biopic.
How An Acclaimed Biopic Could’ve Been The Perfect Blueprint For Michael
One of the best biopics I’ve seen is Danny Boyle’s Steve Jobs, which sports a sharp screenplay written by Aaron Sorkin. Instead of tracking the late Apple co-founder’s life from his birth to his death, Sorkin structures the story so that each act centers on a pivotal moment in Jobs’ life across 14 years. Each third of the 2015 movie sees Jobs preparing for a major press conference, with Act 1 dealing with the reveal of the Macintosh 128K, Act 2 revolving around the NeXT Computer and Act 3 covering the iMac G3 unveiling.
Steve Jobs wasn’t a hit at the box office, but it was critically acclaimed, with some of that praise aimed at its story structure. I appreciated Sorkin and Boyle’s approach upon my first viewing, too, and, years later, I thought about it again while watching Michael. Yes, Jackson fans seemingly wanted an exhaustive look at the late singer’s life complete with recreations of his iconic music videos and concert performances. But, given how extensive Jackson’s story is, the Jobs approach could’ve been a keen way to get to the core of who he was.
To me, it would’ve made sense to break Michael down by starting with the Jackson 5’s first big TV performance on ABC’s The Hollywood Palace in 1969. The second act could then jump to the year 1984, with the end of the Jacksons’ Victory tour, which marks Michael’s final time touring with his brothers and a definitive show of independence from father Joe. (The tour and father drama is actually included in the movie.) And, finally, the third act could’ve centered on Jackson preparing for his This Is It residency shortly before his death in 2009.
With that structure, the film could’ve theoretically put more emphasis on the relationship between Michael Jackson and his brothers and how those dynamics changed as his stardom surpassed theirs. Audiences would also get to see Michael at three distinct periods in his life, in which he’s a bright-eyed kid, a bona fide superstar and a somewhat weary performer ready to move away from the concert circuit. The final time jump would’ve also helped avoid legal issues with depicting Jackson’s sexual abuse allegations in the ‘90s.
Is A Michael Sequel Going To Happen?
Lionsgate seems quite pleased with Michael’s performance at the box office and, per execs, a sequel is being explored. This development comes despite the fact that aspects of Jackson’s life can’t be depicted due to legal issues. It was for that reason that the film’s ending needed to be reshot. I’m not sure how that’ll be remedied in a sequel, but it seems the creative team is going to try.
I honestly don’t expect a sequel to break the mold in terms of storytelling structure for a biopic. Despite that, I’m intrigued by how Antoine Fuqua and co. will proceed if given the chance to finish Jackson’s story. Of course, if Fuqua and screenwriter John Logan had gone the Steve Jobs route, this second film wouldn’t even be necessary.
Michael is currently available to buy or rent on digital platforms, and cinephiles can use those same resources to stream Steve Jobs.
