Jul 12, 2026 8:08pm IST
‘Michael’ Becomes First Biopic to Cross $1 Billion at the Global Box Office
The Michael Jackson biopic, “Michael,” has crossed $1 billion at the global box office, as per Rentrak, an American media analytics company that measures global audience viewership across the film, television and home entertainment industries. This feat has only been achieved by one other movie this year, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” which earned $1.010 billion worldwide to date. The Jaafar Jackson starrer also becomes the first biopic to cross the mark and surpasses “Oppenheimer” as the highest-grossing biopic of all time.
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This also makes Lionsgate the first independent studio to own a $1 billion film. The other successful project from the platform includes “The Housemaid,” (2025) a thriller on Freida McFadden’s book series. It cost $35 million in production and collected $400.5 million.
Released on April 24, 2026, “Michael” had grossed $217.4 million globally in its opening weekend. This included approximately $97 million from the USA and Canada region and $120.4 million internationally.
The movie had a hefty $155 million production budget. According to Variety, the Michael Jackson estate reportedly also incurred tens of millions of dollars in additional costs after the film's third act had to be reworked. That portion of “Michael” had focused on the 1993 civil case in which Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse.
Following production, the makers discovered that a provision in the settlement agreement with the accuser prohibited any portrayal or reference to that individual in film or television projects, making the completed third act unusable.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, the movie is about the life and career of Michael Jackson. It follows his journey from childhood in the Jackson 5 through his rise to becoming one of the world's most influential entertainers, often called the "King of Pop."
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