Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
Michael Jackson’s life story is set to return to the big screen in a sequel to the blockbuster biopic Michael – with California authorities approving $30.8 million in tax incentives to support the production.
The follow-up, titled Michael 2, is being developed by Lionsgate after the original film reportedly generated more than
$1 billion at the global box office.
The sequel is among 35 productions awarded a combined $226 million in incentives by the California Film Commission, as the state attempts to retain major Hollywood productions and encourage studios to film locally.
The original Michael received $21 million in California tax credits, but the latest allocation reflects an expansion of the state’s film and television incentive programme.
The sequel is eligible for credits worth 35 percent of qualifying production expenditure, compared with 17.5 percent for the first instalment.
The production forms part of a wider effort to keep filmmaking in California amid competition from other US states and international production centres offering financial incentives to studios.
Michael, who died aged 50 in 2009, became one of the most commercially successful recording artists in history, with a career spanning his early years performing alongside his brothers in the Jackson 5 through to his emergence as a global solo superstar.
His best-known recordings include Billie Jean, Beat It, Smooth Criminal and Thriller, with the latter’s accompanying music video becoming one of the defining productions of the MTV era.
His 1982 album Thriller remains among the bestselling albums of all time, while subsequent releases including Bad, Dangerous and HIStory further established his international success.
The original biopic stars his nephew Jaafar Jackson in the title role, marking his major feature film acting debut.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, whose previous films include Training Day, The Equalizer and Emancipation, the production explores Michael’s rise to fame and his relationship with the music industry and his family.
The cast also includes Colman Domingo as his father Joe Jackson and Nia Long as his mother Katherine Jackson.
The film’s production and release have attracted attention because of the singer’s cultural legacy and the allegations of child sexual abuse made against him, which he denied during his lifetime.
Michael was acquitted of criminal charges in a 2005 trial.
The latest funding round also includes a long-awaited sequel to the comedy Friday, starring rapper and actor Ice Cube, 57, whose real name is O’Shea Jackson Sr.
The new film, provisionally titled Last Friday, is being developed by New Line Cinema, with actress Nia Long, 55, having recently confirmed that the project remained in development.
Ice Cube said: “I’m thrilled to produce Untitled Last Friday Sequel right here in Southern California, where our cast and crew lives.”
He added: “This story has been part of the fabric of South Los Angeles since our first film 31 years ago, so producing the film here with more than 180 local cast and crew underscores the value of the California production incentive program. We’re thankful for the opportunity to stay local.”
The original Friday, released in 1995, starred Ice Cube alongside comedian Chris Tucker, 54, and became a cult favourite, spawning the sequels Next Friday and Friday After Next.
Disney’s Pixar animation studio will receive the largest individual allocation in the latest funding round, securing $40.1 million for an untitled production.
The award follows a separate $28.7 million allocation for another Pixar project announced in June.
Disney will also receive approximately $30 million in incentives for two additional productions whose titles have not been disclosed.
The California Film Commission said the 35 approved projects were expected to generate approximately $1.08 billion in direct production spending in the state.
The productions are also projected to provide employment for more than 5,400 cast and crew members, alongside nearly 25,000 days of work for background performers.
