The Michael box office story is one of 2026’s biggest: Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic became the first biopic in history to pass $1 billion worldwide. Here are the numbers, the cast and the controversy that shaped the film.
The Michael box office run began with $97 million in North America and about $217 million worldwide over its opening weekend, the biggest launch ever for a music biopic. By mid-July the film had reached $1.001 billion, overtaking Bohemian Rhapsody and becoming Lionsgate’s biggest release.
Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s nephew, plays his uncle in his first acting role. Critics were harsh, audiences were not, and more than 60% of the money came from outside North America.
Michael box office at a glance
- Release: 22 April 2026 in the UK, 24 April in the US, 12 June in Japan
- Director: Antoine Fuqua, from a script by John Logan
- Producers: Graham King, John Branca and John McClain
- Distributors: Lionsgate in the US, Universal Pictures internationally
- Runtime: 127 minutes
- Budget: reported at $155 million to $200 million
- Opening weekend: $97.2 million in North America
- Worldwide total: $1.001 billion by 13 July 2026
- Previous biopic record: Bohemian Rhapsody, $911 million
Michael box office: the record opening
The film premiered in Berlin on 10 April and opened in the UK on 22 April, two days before its US launch in IMAX. Its first day in North America brought in $39.5 million, including $12.6 million from previews, the biggest opening day for a biographical film.
The $97.2 million domestic weekend beat the $60.2 million of Straight Outta Compton and the $51 million launch of Bohemian Rhapsody, as TheGrio reported. Among 2026 releases, only The Super Mario Galaxy Movie had opened bigger.
IMAX screens contributed $24.4 million of the global start. In its second weekend the Michael box office take fell 44% to $54 million, which put the film second behind The Devil Wears Prada 2.
How the Michael box office reached $1 billion
On 28 June the film passed Oppenheimer to become the highest-grossing biographical film ever. It had already overtaken The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, at $865 million, as Lionsgate’s biggest film.
By 13 July, Khaleej Times reported a worldwide total of $1.001 billion, made up of $371.8 million from North America and $629.8 million from the rest of the world. It was the first biopic to cross $1 billion and the first Lionsgate release to do so.
Japan was one of the last major markets to open, on 12 June through Kino Films, seven weeks into the Michael box office run.
The Michael cast
- Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson, with Juliano Valdi as young Michael
- Colman Domingo as Joseph Jackson
- Nia Long as Katherine Jackson
- Miles Teller as John Branca
- Mike Myers as Walter Yetnikoff
- Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy
- Kendrick Sampson as Quincy Jones
- Laura Harrier as Suzanne de Passe
Jaafar is the son of Jermaine Jackson, and Katherine Jackson approved his casting. Prince Jackson, Michael’s eldest son, served as an executive producer.
What the film covers
The story runs from 1966 to 1988. It follows Michael from the Jackson 5 years through his solo breakthrough to the start of the Bad World Tour at Wembley Stadium, recreating his best-known stage moments along the way.
It ends before 1993, which is the root of the film’s biggest controversy.
A long road to release
Graham King secured the rights in 2019, and Lionsgate announced the film in February 2022. Fuqua signed on as director in January 2023, the same month Jaafar was revealed in the lead.
Filming ran from 22 January to 30 May 2024, mainly in Santa Barbara, California, after the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike pushed it back. The release then moved from 18 April 2025 to 3 October 2025 and finally to April 2026.
The reshoots and the 1993 allegations
Early versions of the script included the 1993 child sexual abuse allegations made against Jackson. A clause in a legal settlement with the accuser barred any depiction of him on screen, so every reference was removed and the third act was rewritten.
The new material was shot over 22 days in June 2025. Variety reported the reshoots added $10 million to $15 million to the cost.
Why the Michael box office defied the critics
Why the Michael box office defied the criticsReviews were poor. Rotten Tomatoes counted 38% positive from 295 reviews, and Metacritic scored it 39 out of 100. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw called it “a frustratingly shallow, inert picture”.
Most critics praised Jaafar Jackson’s performance and the concert sequences but called the film sanitised. Paris Jackson, Michael’s daughter, had already described it as “sugar-coated” before release, The Fader reported.
Audiences felt differently. CinemaScore polls gave it an A minus, and PostTrak reported 90% positive with 84% saying they would definitely recommend it. That gap sums up the Michael box office story: for most ticket buyers, the music outweighed the objections.
How Michael compares with other music biopics
Bohemian Rhapsody set the bar at $911 million in 2018, and films such as Rocketman and Elvis proved there was a wide audience for star stories told through their songs. Michael went further because Jackson’s catalogue reaches almost every market in the world.
That reach shows in the split: about 63% of the Michael box office total came from outside North America. Lionsgate had never had a billion-dollar film before, and on 21 May it confirmed a sequel was in development, with Fuqua saying enough footage exists to cover Jackson’s later life.
Watching Michael in the UAE
We have not seen a UAE-specific Michael box office figure. It arrived on digital platforms in the US on 9 June 2026, so check UAE cinema listings and the Apple TV and Prime Video stores for rental availability.
Michael box office FAQs
How much did Michael make at the box office?
More than $1 billion worldwide. It reached $1.001 billion by 13 July 2026, according to Khaleej Times.
Who plays Michael Jackson in Michael?
Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s nephew and the son of Jermaine Jackson, in his acting debut.
Is Michael the highest-grossing biopic?
Yes. It overtook Bohemian Rhapsody and Oppenheimer, and it is the first biopic to pass $1 billion, as the film’s Wikipedia entry records.
For more screen lives, see the actresses who nailed their roles in biopics, and find more stories in our Hollywood section.