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‘Michael’ Star’s Pay Dispute & Who Will Direct Part Two?

News and notes on the chatter that ‘Michael’ producer Graham King is stepping in to direct the sequel, and Nia Long’s quiet fight with Lionsgate over her compensation for the movie.

Nia Long
Nia Long had a “favored nations” clause in her contract, meaning she could not be paid less than her co-stars, and she is said to have learned that both Colman Domingo and Miles Teller earned more than she did. Not great, if that’s true. Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Matthew Belloni
May 1, 2026

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I teased this yesterday on The Town, but it’s true: Michael producer Graham King has floated the idea of stepping in to direct the sequel, once it’s officially greenlit. That might sound nuts given that King has zero directing credits, but he was very hands-on in coordinating the reshoots and assembling the final cut after legal issues required a total overhaul of the first film. Plus, if King and Lionsgate want Michael: Part Two to shoot later this year for a 2027 release, that will require replacing Antoine Fuqua, who directed Michael but is committed for the rest of this year to Netflix’s big-budget Denzel Washington epic about Hannibal (the general, not the cannibal).