‘Michael’ Becomes First Music Biopic to Surpass $1 Billion Worldwide
Biopics seldom achieve box office success, and music biopics face even greater challenges in transforming prestige narratives into blockbuster hits. However, the genre has been rewriting its own rules in 2026, with one film in particular continuing to thrive months after its theatrical release.
That film is ‘Michael’, directed by Antoine Fuqua, which chronicles Michael Jackson’s journey from the Jackson 5 to global superstardom, featuring his real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson in the lead role. Since its debut in April, the film has consistently surpassed milestones, amassing approximately $371 million from domestic theaters and generating significant earnings internationally in countries like France, Brazil, and Mexico.
Box office tracker Luiz Fernando shared an update on X, revealing that ‘Michael’ has officially crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office after its twelfth weekend performance.
The reported figures indicate an estimated international total of $629.3 million across 85 markets, with Japan and Russia compensating for slowdowns related to the World Cup and the film’s digital release in other regions, ultimately pushing the worldwide total past the $1 billion mark, alongside a domestic total of $371.8 million against a reported production budget of $200 million.
This achievement makes ‘Michael’ the second film of the year to reach the $1 billion milestone globally, following Universal’s animated success. Currently at $991.7 million, its strong performance in Japan is anticipated to help it surpass the $1 billion mark soon, highlighting how quickly the Japanese market has accelerated the film’s final push toward this milestone.
This accomplishment caps a journey that has already redefined the record books for the genre. ‘Michael’ has dethroned ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ to become the highest-grossing music biopic of all time, with Universal capturing a significant portion of the international total after acquiring foreign theatrical and ancillary rights. It has even surpassed Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’, becoming the highest-grossing biopic of any kind in film history.
The film’s commercial success stands in stark contrast to its critical reception, as some critics have criticized its omission of the child sexual abuse allegations that marred Jackson’s later career. ‘Michael’ holds a critics score in the high thirties on Rotten Tomatoes but boasts an impressive 97 percent audience score on the same platform, indicating a disconnect between professional reviews and audience reception. This disparity has not hindered the film from becoming Lionsgate’s largest theatrical release to date.
The production faced its own challenges, including $50 million in reshoots after the Jackson estate identified a screenplay issue concerning one of Jackson’s accusers, who was not meant to be depicted in the film. The final product concludes with the on-screen text ‘The Story Continues’, fueling speculation about a sequel that could explore the later years of Jackson’s life and career.
With the billion-dollar milestone now achieved, all eyes are on how far ‘Michael’ can extend its theatrical run before studios begin planning the next chapter. Do you think a sequel focusing on Jackson’s more tumultuous later years could replicate this box office success, or has ‘Michael’ already reached its peak with its origin story?