Jaafar Jackson says deleted ‘Michael’ scenes made him a better actor

The actor reflects on footage removed from his uncle’s billion-dollar biopic as he awaits production details for the planned sequel.

Jaafar Jackson says filming scenes that never made it into Michael still helped him become a better actor. His account comes as questions linger over what the sequel may cover and after he landed another role alongside Will Smith following his screen debut as his uncle, Michael Jackson.

In an AllHipHop report published Tuesday, Jackson discussed a new Variety interview in which he reflected on losing footage from the biopic’s original third act. Rather than describing the unused work as wasted, he said the experience “made me a better actor.”

“I feel like that will happen many more times with other projects,” Jackson concluded. “You wish a certain performance was in there and it’s not. That’s something you have to deal with when making a film.”

The changes were more substantial than routine editing. The original third act addressed child sexual abuse allegations against Michael Jackson, who denied wrongdoing. Variety previously reported that legal restrictions related to a settlement with an accuser forced filmmakers to rewrite and reshoot the ending.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Michael opened in April and follows the singer from his Jackson 5 years through his rise as a solo star, ending during the “Bad” World Tour. The film grossed more than $1 billion worldwide, becoming the first biopic to reach that milestone.

Its success helped fuel plans for a second installment. Lionsgate executive Adam Fogelson previously described late 2026 or early 2027 as a possible filming window. But Jackson said he had not received a firm start date and remained ready to play his uncle again.

The California Film Commission lists a conditional tax-credit allocation of approximately $30.8 million for “Michael 2,” the sequel’s working title. Its projections include 55 California filming days, 65 cast hires and 300 crew hires. The allocation does not establish when production will begin.

Jackson has also been working outside the family biopic. He told Variety he spent about 40 days in Australia on “Supermax,” a thriller featuring Smith. Unlike his role in Michael, the project did not require him to sing or dance.