'Michael' is Hollywood's 1st biopic to collect over $1B
What's the story
The controversial Michael Jackson biopic, simply titled Michael, has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first-ever biographical film to gross over $1 billion at the global box office. The movie, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson (the King of Pop's real-life nephew), Colman Domingo, Miles Teller, Nia Long, Laura Harrier, and Mike Myers, was released in 2026.
Box office success
Highest-grossing biopic of all time
The film has not only become the highest-grossing music biopic of all time, surpassing Bohemian Rhapsody's $911 million earnings, but also the highest-grossing biopic overall, beating Oppenheimer's $975.8 million. Despite being available on video on demand since June 9 and set for a physical media debut on July 14, Michael continued to rake in profits at the box office.
Production milestone
First Lionsgate movie to cross $1 billion mark
The film has also made history for Lionsgate by becoming the first of its movies to gross over $1 billion. This achievement surpasses the company's previous record set by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire in 2013, which earned $865 million. The movie's success is attributed to its recent release in Japan, a major market that contributed an additional $35.7 million to its international grosses.
Filmmaker's statement
Fuqua reacts to film's historic success
In light of this achievement, Fuqua said, "Reaching this extraordinary $1 billion milestone with Michael is a deeply humbling moment that celebrates the tireless dedication of our incredible producers, cast, crew, and partners." "This achievement belongs to everyone who came together with a shared vision to honor one of the greatest artists the world has ever known."
Industry impact
Future of music biopics at box office
The success of Michael is particularly impressive as it joins Bohemian Rhapsody as one of only two music biopics to gross over $300 million worldwide. It remains to be seen if other music biopics can follow this trend and cross the billion-dollar mark. The Beatles, another globally recognized musical group with enormous fame, has a four-film event in development that could potentially reach this milestone collectively but may not do so individually due to its unique release strategy.