Jackson family eager to cash in after $217M opening weekend for ‘Michael’ —with talks of ‘Thriller’ tour and movie sequels

After a record-smashing $217 million opening weekend for biopic “Michael” at the box office, the Jackson family have burst back into the spotlight — and are intent on taking center stage.

The musical family see the movie as the ultimate validation of Michael, who died suddenly in 2009 while rehearsing a comeback tour, and a great opportunity.

“The success of this movie didn’t just bring Michael back,” one family source told The Post. “It brought all of them back. The phones are ringing again, the invites are coming again, and the family knows exactly what this moment is.”

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Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in a still from the biopic “Michael” which surpassed its expected box office opening of $60 million to take $217 million in a single weekend.©Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett Collection

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(L-R) Prince Jackson, Jackie Jackson, Jaafar Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, and Marlon Jackson at the “Michael” screening in Gary, Indiana, just before the film’s release on April 13.Getty Images
The video player is currently playing an ad.The movie itself was a family affair, with Michael’s nephew, Jaafar, playing his uncle and his eldest son, Prince, as an executive producer. His estate was also instrumental in bringing the movie to the screen.

Their bet that a feelgood movie about Michael’s career highs would capture the public’s attention, after years of accusations and lurid speculation around him abusing children, paid off.

“For a long time, everything around Michael felt heavy. Now it’s light again. It’s a celebration, and the family is enjoying every second of it,” another insider said.

Renewed discussions about a Jackson family tour are already underway, with efforts to include Michael’s younger sister, Janet, as headliner.

Sources say La Toya, Rebbie, Jermaine, Jackie, and Marlon are already committed, and if the estate allows for it, they will name the tour “Thriller.”

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“Michael” director Antoine Fuqua with Jaafar giving direction during filming of the movie.©Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett Collection
Ironically, for those who saw the movie, Michael was never able to tour his groundbreaking 1982 “Thriller” album as his controlling father, Joseph Jackson, forced him to do the “Victory” tour with his brothers instead.

The movie’s continuing success is also a boon to the family financially, as many members were brought in as executive producers — except for Janet and Randy, who both chose not to participate. Insiders say the total payout reached well into the seven figures.

“They were paid, and they were paid well. The estate made sure of that because they wanted the family involved and aligned,” said the insider. Planning for the film’s next chapter is also underway.

“[Studio] Lionsgate and the Jackson Estate haven’t made a definitive decision yet, but the family is supportive as long as the project is executed properly and the false allegations against Michael are not given excessive attention,” said a source.

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Janet Jackson, pictured in 2025, has so far declined to be involved in the movie, but may return to the family fold for a tour with her brothers and sisters.Getty Images
The material is already there. Director Antoine Fuqua has said there’s “absolutely” enough footage for a follow-up — including parts of Michael’s life the first film didn’t touch. Roughly 30% of what could become a second film is already in the can, according to insiders.

By most accounts, the first film already leaned heavily on Michael’s most powerful music catalog — the Jackson 5 years through his 1988 “Thriller” album. What’s left comes with far more complicated territory.

“They know they used a lot of the music people came to hear already,” a family source said. “So now it’s about telling the story differently — deeper, more personal — without losing what made the first one work.”

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The Jackson brothers pictured around 1970, with father Joe Jackson (center). From Left: Jackie, Tito, Marlon, Jermaine, Michael (right), and Randy.Michael Ochs Archives
The estate and filmmakers are reluctant to tackle Jackson’s 2005 trial in California on 14 counts, including child molestation and providing alcohol to a minor, charges he was unanimously acquitted of, The Post has learned.

They would also like to avoid the controversial Martin Bashir interview that preceded his 2003 arrest, with insiders saying one idea that’s been discussed is ending a second film earlier — around 2001.

That moment gives them a clean landing point: Jackson’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, followed by his return to the stage at Madison Square Garden where other superstars like Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Usher, NSYNC, Luther Vandross, Liz Taylor, Marlon Brando, and Britney Spears all performed in a salute to Michael on September 7 and 10 of 2001.

Sources say the next film is also expected to lean heavily into Michael’s personal life — including his marriages to Elvis Presley’s only daughter, Lisa Marie, and later to his nurse, Debbie Rowe, who gave birth to Michael’s oldest son, Prince, and his only daughter, Paris. The mother of his second son, Bigi, has never been publicly divulged.

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Michael’s sons Prince (left) and Bigi (right) paying homage to their father’s style at a premiere for the movie in Germany recently.Getty Images for Universal Pictures
Lisa Marie’s inclusion could be important as Michael publicly admitted his attraction to her dated back to the early 1980s when she was a teenager. Including Presley and Shields would also help depict Jackson as romantically linked to a females, sources said.

Insiders also believe a second film will frame much of the period from 1988 onward through Michael’s own words — his repeated statements about not having a childhood and his deep desire to have children of his own, a theme that carried through his relationships, including his marriage to Rowe.

Such emotional threads trace back to Michael’s earliest close bonds — including his long friendship with Brooke Shields and his deeply personal relationship with Elizabeth Taylor, one of the few people he trusted completely. Sources say Taylor’s influence and support will be a key emotional anchor in the second film, including how she stood by him publicly and privately during difficult periods.

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Randy Jackson (left) has also declined to be part of the movie and tour so far. He is pictured with Michael in 1983.Getty Images
“Elizabeth was family to him,” a source said. “Not Hollywood family — real family. He leaned on her, cried on her shoulders and she never left his side.”

Insiders recalled Michael’s over-the-top generosity toward Taylor, including buying her expensive jewelry and sending staffers across the world — even to places like Switzerland — to track down gifts he thought she would love.

“He adored her,” another source said. “If he saw something she might like, he had to get it. It didn’t matter where it was or what it cost.”

The music will still carry the film. Sources say the sequel will lean into Jackson’s global dominance during the era of his 1991 “Dangerous” album and tour, which proved his reach worldwide — along with a return to his historic 1993 Super Bowl performance, a landmark show, which set the template for all halftime shows since.

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Michael performing in Texas in 1991, when he was the largest act on the planet, at the peak of his touring powers.WireImage
“They’re going to remind people just how big he was,” another source said. “Those performances, those interviews — that’s the foundation. That’s what people connect to.”

And while the allegations that reshaped Michael’s later life remain part of the timeline, sources say the plan is to approach them without naming accusers and focus on Jackson defending himself publicly.

“They’re not ignoring that it happened,” a source said. “But they’re not going to re-live it the way people expect.”

Sources say Jackson’s estate invested close to $150 million in the first film, but with it on track to cross the $1 billion mark, they’re almost certain to helm the follow up.

“Most of the family is completely behind a second film, a third film,” the source added. “The family is going to ride that for as long as they can. To borrow a phrase [from Michael], they ‘won’t stop till they get enough,’ and this family never gets enough.”