What is the story about?
The Michael biopic starring Jaafar Jackson has officially wrapped its world theatrical run with an impressive $1.028 billion global haul. Directed by Antoine
Fuqua, the film has emerged as the highest-grossing biopic of all time and the first film based on a real person to top $1 billion. The milestone makes Michael one of the biggest theatrical releases of 2026, along with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Odyssey, Toy Story 5 and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The film's international performance was particularly strong, accounting for almost two-thirds of its global earnings.
Michael crosses $1 billion worldwide
According to Box Office Mojo, Michael grossed $1,028,706,645 worldwide in its theatrical run. It grossed approximately $372.3 million domestically and $656.4 million internationally. Those numbers make Michael the top-grossing biopic in box office history. It also was the first biopic to hit $1 billion worldwide.
The film had already overtaken Bohemian Rhapsody to become the biggest music biopic at the international box office. Its eventual run also saw it beat Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer for the all-time biopic record. Michael has been recognised as the highest-grossing music biopic.
Jaafar Jackson as Michael
The film stars Jaafar Jackson as the legendary singer. Jaafar is the nephew of Michael Jackson. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film tells the story of Jackson’s rise from his childhood days as a member of The Jackson 5 to his status as one of the most influential entertainers in music history. The cast also includes Colman Domingo as Joseph Jackson and Nia Long as Katherine Jackson.
The project was created in partnership with the Michael Jackson estate. Domestic distribution was handled by Lionsgate, with Universal handling much of the international release.
Michael got off to a good start
Michael launched in cinemas in April, and immediately proved its commercial appeal. The film opened domestically to around $97.2 million and grossed over $217 million worldwide in its opening weekend. That box-office momentum continued for the next few months, finally pushing the film past the $1 billion mark and into the record books.
That strong international showing was particularly important. International audiences contributed roughly 64% of the film’s final worldwide gross, generating more than $656 million from overseas markets.
Michael in the billion-dollar movies of 2026
The Michael Jackson biopic is one of only a handful of movies in 2026 to gross over $1 billion worldwide. The year's current worldwide grosser is Spider-Man: Brand New Day, with about $2.49 billion. Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is at about $1.75 billion. Toy Story 5 has also crossed the billion-dollar mark at around $1.15 billion, while The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is at around $1.012 billion.
Michael finishes its theatrical run as a major commercial success and record-breaking music biopic with its $1.028 billion finish, demonstrating the continued global fascination with the life and legacy of Michael Jackson.
