💰 Michael Makes Box Office History
The Antoine Fuqua-directed biographical drama Michael has cemented its place in cinematic history. Following its tenth weekend in global distribution, the Lionsgate feature generated $977.4 million, officially emerging as the highest-grossing biopic of all time.
The film eclipsed the previous record-holder, Christopher Nolan’s drama Oppenheimer ($975.8 million). Universal Pictures handled the international distribution for Michael (excluding Japan and Russia)—the exact same studio that steered Oppenheimer to its theatrical success.
The performance of the King of Pop biopic appears even more impressive when contrasted with Nolan’s Oscar-winning triumph. Oppenheimer built its box office momentum on the back of a powerful awards campaign that culminated in seven Academy Awards, receiving a final revenue injection from a delayed theatrical launch in Japan eight months after its global debut. Conversely, Michael—starring the singer’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in the titular role—established its historic record under significantly tighter digital windowing constraints. In the United States, the film landed on Premium Video on Demand (PVOD) platforms just 46 days after its theatrical release, whereas Oppenheimer maintained an exclusive theatrical window for a record 123 days.
Over the past weekend, the biopic added another $9.2 million to its tally. The film’s cumulative gross now stands at $370.2 million domestically (North America) and $607.2 million at the international box office. The film industry is now tracking its next milestone: analysts are confident that Michael is guaranteed to breach the $1 billion threshold. Should it achieve this, it will become the second billion-dollar release of 2026, trailing only the animated hit Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
The project has also surpassed Bohemian Rhapsody ($911 million), solidifying producer Graham King’s status—who steered both properties—as the premier architect of commercially successful musical biopics.
Source: Deadline
