Michael Jackson may have conquered the box office all over again - but Hollywood's biggest problem could be what happens after the music stops.
Following the blockbuster success of Michael, Megyn Kelly and commentator Maureen Callahan are raising a provocative question about a possible second movie: How does a Michael Jackson sequel tell the next chapter of his life without plunging directly into the allegations that have followed his legacy for decades?
That may be the uncomfortable price of success.
During an Aug. 14 episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, Kelly and Callahan discussed both the latest legal developments involving members of the Cascio family and what those developments could mean for another Jackson movie. The episode itself was billed around the "new legal developments" surrounding allegations against Jackson, conflicting accounts from accusers and former associates, and speculation about a sequel.
According to the discussion, the first Michael movie has grossed more than $1 billion, with Callahan characterizing the film as something of a legacy-restoration vehicle that placed Jackson back at the center of pop culture as an extraordinary performer. Her point was deliciously simple: a movie that successful practically screams for a sequel.
But then comes the problem.
"Where do you go with this story when we all know what chapter 2 is?" Kelly asked during the exchange.
That could become the billion-dollar question.
Kelly claimed that material involving allegations had reportedly been included in an earlier version of the first film but was ultimately removed because of legal agreements involving some of Jackson's earlier accusers. According to her account, those agreements restricted what the estate could say about the individuals involved.
In other words, the first film could concentrate on the moonwalk, the music and the mythology.
A sequel may not have that luxury.
Callahan speculated that filmmakers could potentially use fictionalized or composite characters to address the controversies without directly depicting particular accusers, although that was her theory rather than a confirmed creative plan. She also claimed she had information suggesting that "part two" was already in process.
If true, that sets up a fascinating Hollywood tightrope: the very success that revived Jackson's cinematic legacy may now make it impossible to avoid the most controversial period of his story.
Meanwhile, the off-screen legal drama is getting complicated too.
Kelly discussed members of the Cascio family, who had publicly defended Jackson for years before later alleging that they had been abused. The program said the family had previously reached a settlement with the Jackson estate and later sought to pursue their claims in court.
Kelly said a federal judge recently rejected an attempt to move the dispute into a jury trial, ruling that the claims were subject to an earlier arbitration agreement. She described the decision as a significant win for the Jackson estate.
The allegations remain disputed, and Jackson denied sexual-abuse allegations during his lifetime. The latest Kelly discussion also repeatedly questioned the credibility and motivations of various accusers, illustrating just how fiercely divided the Jackson story remains decades after the controversies first erupted.
And that division is precisely what makes a sequel potentially explosive.
The first Michael could sell audiences the King of Pop.
Part Two may have to sell audiences an interpretation of Michael Jackson.
That is a much riskier movie.
Because once filmmakers move beyond the dazzling performances and global superstardom, practically every creative choice becomes loaded. Which allegations are shown? Which are challenged? Which are omitted? Whose version of events gets screen time? And does the movie function as biography - or defense?
That could turn Michael 2 from a conventional music biopic into one of Hollywood's most scrutinized sequels.
The irony is hard to miss: the billion-dollar success of Michael Jackson's comeback movie may have opened a Pandora's box that its sequel can no longer close.
