Apr 26, 2026 9:44am IST
‘Michael’ Worldwide Box Office: Jaafar Jackson-Starrer Becomes First Biopic to Hit $100 Million on Opening Day
“Michael,” based on the life of the ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson and featuring the late legend’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, has debuted with historical numbers at the global box office.
The musical biographical drama grossed $39.5 million on Friday in the U.S. alone and $95 million-$100 million in the North American market (making it the second-highest opener of the year behind “Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” which raked in $131 million).
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In international markets, the film raked in $111.4 million from 82 reported countries (excluding Korea and Japan), bringing its global first-day total to $206.4 million. It is currently the biggest global opener of the year, beating Ryan Gosling’s “Project Hail Mary” ($140.9 million) convincingly.
In the U.S., it created a record by emerging as the highest-grossing opening day ever for a biopic, surpassing Christopher Nolan’s directed film “Oppenheimer,” starring Cillian Murphy ($33 million), “Straight Outta Compton” (N.W.A. biopic), which raked in $24.2 million and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which opened with $18 million.
The film is expected to continue its box office juggernaut and shatter several records during its theatrical run. The film’s business is all the more commendable given the negative reviews it received in some quarters.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the movie also stars Juliano Krue Valdi, Nia Long, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Laura Harrier, Jessica Sula, Mike Myers, Miles Teller and Colman Domingo in prominent roles. With music and cinematography by Lior Rosner and Dion Beebe, the editing is done by John Ottman, Harry Yoon, Conrad Buff IV and Tom Cross.
It is bankrolled by Graham King, John Branca and John McClain under the banners of Lionsgate Films, GK Films and Optimum Productions.
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