‘Michael 2' Is in the Works, but May Already Face Issues If There's No Janet Jackson
Riding the historic wave of box-office success of Michael, Lionsgate, Universal, and the powers that be are moving forward with a sequel (unofficially dubbed Michael 2 for now). While this is great news for many fans of the original movie, my inquisitive nature has given me a bit of pause for a few reasons, one of which, ironically, is Janet Jackson.
To be clear, by and large, I did like the Michael film for the music, the nostalgia, and the acting (especially by Jaafar Jackson and Juliano Valdi). However, I previously noted that two major events were left out. There was no mention of his time making The Wiz, where he developed a bond with Quincy Jones to create one of the best artist/producer duos of all time, and Michael's massive purchase of a bulk of The Beatles' catalog isn't discussed. Michael also had important people in the King of Pop's life missing. Diana Ross was notably absent due to "certain legal considerations," and Janet "declined" to participate.
Zeroing in on Janet, if she declined to be in the first film, I have no reason to think she'll be in the sequel, and that leads me to believe that would-be viewers of Michael 2 won't see another career-defining and history-making moment of Michael's life.
Michael and Janet Jackson Made History with "Scream" in ‘95
Written and produced by Michael, Janet, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, "Scream" was a melodic clapback to all the public fodder largely surrounding Michael in 1995. Additionally, the song was Michael and Janet's biggest collaboration, and at the time, it made history as the highest-charting debut single on the Billboard Hot 100, debuting at #5. But where the sibling collaboration really popped was in the video.
"Scream" holds a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most expensive music video ever, costing $7 million. The 4:47-minute music video is mesmerizing. Shot in black and white, with a futuristic backdrop, the siblings dance in lockstep with one another, each holding their own. The video went on to earn Michael and Janet a Grammy for Best Music Video, and at the time, they set a record for the most MTV Music Award nominations for a single video with 11.
Why ‘Scream' Would Be Interesting to Watch in ‘Michael 2'
By 1995, Michael was going through it. He was still trying to come from underneath the 1993 allegations, and the tabloids made him a punchline or punching bag regularly. Then there was Janet. She was at a point in her career where she was thriving, having released three megahit albums back to back (Rhythm Nation, Control, and janet.) In fact, there's an argument to be made that she was just as popular, if not more so, than her famous older brother at that time.
It would have been intriguing to see the sibling competitiveness that may have existed in the duo's adult dynamic, as Jimmy Jam suggests there was. Speaking to People, Jam stated, "So I felt a little bit of the competitiveness, which was cool." And while he said it was cool, Janet talks about the collaboration in a slightly different tone.
In her documentary, Janet Jackson, she talks about this project being Michael's and her being there "to support." She also talks about how it was "tough" shooting the video, as they went beyond the "three-day shoot" plan, the price of the video ballooned, and she shot her parts during the day while he shot at night. She also accused his record label of trying to make things competitive between her and her brother, and she felt "hurt" by the experience. Take a look at a clip from the doc below.
All in all, while I'm sure Michael 2 can make it without Janet and may gloss over the "Scream" experience entirely, I can't help but think about the potential missed opportunity to explore the making of the song and video, and all the familial dynamics that were at play. Oh, and to be clear, I don't doubt that Michael and Janet were close. They likely just had a "sibling moment."
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This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 5:29 AM.