Michael Jackson’s “Michael” biopic breaks records with $217M global debut. Here’s all you need to know about it

“Michael,” the Michael Jackson biopic, debuted to a record-breaking $97 million domestic and $217 million global opening weekend. It is now the highest-grossing biopic opening of all time, surpassing “Straight Outta Compton’s” $60 million opening in 2015.

The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua and distributed by Lionsgate, charts Michael Jackson’s journey from his early days in the Jackson 5 to becoming the most famous entertainer on the planet. Jaafar Jackson, the King of Pop’s real-life nephew, plays his uncle in his acting debut, with Colman Domingo and Nia Long portraying Joe and Katherine Jackson.

The casting of Jaafar was a deliberate choice by the Jackson estate, which is one of the film’s co-producers alongside Lionsgate and Universal, the latter handling international distribution.

The $97 million domestic opening is the second-biggest debut of 2026 so far, sitting behind only The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which opened to $131 million in April. For Lionsgate specifically, it is the studio’s biggest hit in more than a decade; its last comparable opening was The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 in 2015. If projections hold and the film crosses $700 million worldwide, it will rank among the studio’s biggest films of all time.

Audiences enjoyed the film, but critics were less impressed. It has a 38% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This difference in opinion is similar to what happened with the music biopics Bohemian Rhapsody and Elvis, which were not critical successes but were very popular with audiences.

Michael received an A- on CinemaScore exit polls, with 61% of ticket buyers being female and 66% being 25 years old or older.

The controversy that surrounds “Michael”

What makes Michael particularly fascinating is not just what is in it, but what was deliberately left out, and why.

The film does not address the child sexual abuse allegations that plagued Jackson later in his life. This omission led to criticism from reviewers, who felt the film was glossed over and incomplete. However, this was not simply due to a lack of courage on the filmmakers’ part.

The initial script supposedly contained a dramatisation of the 1993 child molestation lawsuit against Jackson. But, during filming, the filmmakers found a clause in the financial settlement with the young accuser. This clause specifically prohibited any portrayal or discussion of him in movies or TV shows.

That discovery forced a significant overhaul of the film’s third act. Rather than rewrite around the allegations, the producers chose to end the story entirely in 1988, during Jackson’s Bad world tour, cutting away before the controversies of the 1990s even began.

Lionsgate has since confirmed plans to greenlight at least one more film about Jackson’s life, suggesting the later chapters of his story will be addressed separately.

The film carries a production budget of close to $200 million, making it one of the most expensive biopics ever made. Those costs were split between Lionsgate, Universal, and the Michael Jackson estate.

What is driving people to the cinemas to see the film

The movie is popular largely because of its concert scenes. The “Billie Jean,” “Thriller,” and “Beat It” musical performances have been known to get viewers excited, and the movie has done very well in enhanced formats.

Sales in IMAX theatres in North America reached $13.8 million, which is about 14% of all domestic sales. Worldwide, IMAX sales were $24.5 million, making it the highest-grossing IMAX opening for a musical biopic.

The film’s original tracking had it pegged at $50 million to $60 million. The fact that it nearly doubled those projections points to something the industry has been seeing repeatedly with music biopics, when the subject is genuinely beloved and the concert recreations land, audiences respond on a scale that defies advance estimates.

Bohemian Rhapsody, which opened to just $51 million in 2018, eventually finished with $910 million worldwide. If Michael follows a similar trajectory, it could end up being one of the highest-grossing films of the year.

For a studio like Lionsgate, which endured a painful stretch of flops in 2024, including Borderlands and a reboot of The Crow, the success of Michael is both a financial lifeline and a statement of intent heading into a competitive summer season.

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