Coproduced by the Jackson Estate, Lionsgate’s Michael skyrocketed to a $97.2 million opening in U.S. and Canada movie theaters. Globally reaching $218.8 million, shattering a record for music biopics.
Weeks prior to the movie’s release, estimates for Michael were closer to $50-70 million. However, it wildly overperformed, surpassing previous top-performing biopics such as Straight Outta Compton ($60.2 million 2015 debut) and Bohemian Rhapsody ($51 million 2018 debut).
Heading into opening weekend, producer Graham King never imagined Michael had the chance to become the top biopic, his goal was to rule the music biopic category. “Above all, it reflects the tremendous outpouring of love and affection from moviegoers around the world, underscoring the strength and vitality of the theatrical box office. If you give audiences what they want, they will come,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chair, Adam Fogelson.
Michael had its fair share of trouble throughout production before hitting the big screen. The film dealt with major delays, undergoing 22 days of reshoots for the third act and as a result, filmmakers are now considering a sequel to finish telling Jackson’s story.
Michael is the second-biggest opening weekend of 2026, behind The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($372.5 million). After beating expectations in North America by nearly $30 million, Michael scored the biggest domestic opening of all time for any biopic.
