THE MAN IN THE MIRROR

So, if Chandler is off limits—and, potentially, any mention of child sexual abuse—what might be included in a Michael Jackson follow-up? Well, there’s a ton of music still on the table to be used, dramatized, and propelled back onto the streaming charts. The better part of four albums from Jackson’s discography are still up for grabs: Invincible (2001), HIStory (1995), Dangerous (1991), and the vast majority of Bad (1987). (Only the titular song off the album appears in the film.) This list contains plenty of earworms and memorable music videos, including but not limited to “Man in the Mirror,” “Smooth Criminal,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “Black or White,” “Remember the Time,” “Jam,” “Heal The World,” and “Earth Song,” to name a few.

A sequel could also cover iconic stage moments like Jackson’s 1991 performance of “Black and White” for MTV’s 10th anniversary, or his 1996 performance of “Earth Song” at the Brit Awards. As far as medleys go, the filmmakers could turn to Jackson’s 15-minute set at the 1995 MTV Music Awards, where he sang everything from “Billie Jean” to “Dangerous” to “You Are Not Alone;” that’s also where he debuted his famous “anti-gravity lean” during “Smooth Criminal.” And then there’s his 1993 Super Bowl headlining performance, which was included in an earlier version of the Michael script, which many believe cemented the halftime show as a major cultural event.

Jackson also went on multiple tours—the Dangerous world tour, the History world tour, and the 30th Anniversary Tour—which might be of some interest for a followup to a film that wasn’t afraid to recreate large swaths of concert footage almost beat for beat.

Putting his legal woes aside, Jackson’s life outside of performing was often bizarre and confounding, making for potentially intriguing scenes. There was his brief relationship and marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis’s daughter, in 1994, which linked the families of two of the most popular musicians in history. After being diagnosed with vitiligo in the mid 1980s, Jackson’s skin became noticeably lighter. He eventually married Debbie Rowe, an office worker at his dermatologist, and had two children with her: Paris Jackson—who has publicly disavowed Michael—and Prince Jackson, who serves as a producer on the film. And who could forget when he dangled his youngest child, Bigi Jackson (nicknamed Blanket), over the railing of a hotel balcony railing in Berlin while greeting fans.

There’s also Jackson’s death. The star died in 2009, at age 50, of cardiac arrest due to a fatal dose of propofol and other drugs. His death came right before his sold-out This Is It tour was due to begin. In 2011, the doctor who prescribed Jackson’s medication, Conrad Murray, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for providing and administering Jackson those medications.

Whether the Michael sequel will come to fruition and cover any of this uncharted territory—or flash back to territory that was avoided in the first film, like the entirety of The Wiz—is heretofore unknown. But if audiences’ appetites are any indication, don’t be surprised if Michael: For Bad moonwalks into a theater near you sometime in the not-so-distant future.