Image credits: GK Films / Lionsgate via The Playlist
Antoine Fuqua’s highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, has officially done the unthinkable. Over the weekend, the film crossed the coveted $1 billion milestone at the global box office. By doing so, it officially bypassed Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody to become the highest-earning biographical film of all time.
How the Controversial Michael Jackson Biopic Defied the Critics
What makes this milestone wild is the massive divide between critics and the general public. The film was hit with heavy media backlash and mixed reviews, sitting at a low 40% on Rotten Tomatoes. Much of the criticism stemmed from the movie’s timeline, which largely ends in 1988 and leaves out the highly controversial allegations brought against the pop star later in his life.
Yet, audiences completely ignored the reviews. Boasting a 97% audience score, fans turned the theatrical release into a massive cultural event.
A Historic Milestone for Lionsgate and Independent Filmmaking
IMDB rating for: 7.4
Beyond the cultural conversation, this is an unprecedented win for independent studio funding. Major legacy Hollywood studios originally passed on financing the massive project due to the baggage surrounding the subject matter. Lionsgate took the gamble, partnering with Universal and Kino Films to distribute it.
Michael now stands as the first independently financed studio production to ever cross $1 billion, shattering Lionsgate’s previous box office record held by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire back in 2013. The film’s ripple effect is also tearing up the music charts, pushing Michael Jackson’s streaming numbers on Spotify past 105 million monthly listeners.
Comparison with Other Releases
Lionsgate and Universal’s Michael has officially crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office, securing its place as the first biopic in cinema history to hit the milestone.
The Michael Jackson film rode a massive wave of international support to cross the threshold, spearheaded by an exceptional late-market rollout in Japan via distributor Kino Films. In just under a month in Japanese theaters, Michael brought in over $35.7 million, pushing its international total to $629.8 million. Combined with a strong domestic run of $371.8 million, the film’s global total now stands at $1.001 billion, surpassing Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer ($957 million) as the highest-grossing biographical drama of all time.
Michael is the second film released this year to reach the $1 billion mark, trailing only Universal and Illumination’s animated hit The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which currently sits at $1.010 billion.
The elite billion-dollar club is expected to expand again shortly. Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 has already accumulated $879 million globally after only four weekends in theaters, making it the next clear candidate to clear the benchmark.
The 2026 Global Box Office Leaderboard
| Film | Domestic Gross | International Gross | Worldwide Total |
| The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | $429.8M | $580.4M | $1.010B |
| Michael | $371.8M | $629.8M | $1.001B |
| Toy Story 5 | $403.7M | $475.3M | $879.0M |
