Despite critical pushback over its handling of controversial allegations, Antoine Fuqua’s epic scales past $959 million globally, eyeing the elusive $1 billion milestone and a shot at ‘Oppenheimer.’
LOS ANGELES — Michael Jackson has reclaimed his crown as the ultimate king of entertainment, this time at the global box office. Michael, the sprawling cinematic biography directed by Antoine Fuqua, has officially surpassed the lifetime earnings of the 2018 Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody to become the highest-grossing music biopic in history.
According to studio tracking data finalized on Sunday, June 21, 2026, the Lionsgate and Universal Pictures co-production has amassed a staggering $959.6 million worldwide, effectively moonwalking past the $910.8 million benchmark previously held by Queen’s theatrical juggernaut.
Breaking Records Across the Globe
The historic box office run has rewritten the record books for independent studio Lionsgate, cementing Michael as the highest-grossing theatrical release in the company’s history. The film’s financial footprint is evenly divided across domestic and international markets, demonstrating the enduring global reach of the King of Pop:
- Domestic Box Office: $367.9 million (38.3% of the total gross).
- International Box Office: $591.7 million (61.7% of the total gross).
- Top Export Markets: The United Kingdom leads overseas territories with an exceptional $69.8 million, followed closely by France ($55.4 million), Germany ($35.6 million), and Brazil ($33.7 million).
The milestone is a poetic victory for veteran mega-producer Graham King. In a rare feat of Hollywood self-vandalism, King served as the principal producer on both films, effectively breaking his own all-time genre record.
With strong late-stage openings currently fueling theaters across Japan and South Korea, box office analysts project that Michael is only a week away from crossing the coveted $1 billion milestone. If it achieves this, it will become only the second film of 2026 to join the billion-dollar club, right behind Universal’s The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
The Streaming Windfall: Catalog Sales Explode
For the music industry, the box office numbers are only half the story. The theatrical release has triggered a colossal, unprecedented renaissance for Jackson’s discography, delivering a massive commercial victory for Sony Music Group—which acquired a 50% stake in Jackson’s publishing and master rights for $750 million in late 2023.
The Biopic Effect:
According to Luminate data, global streams for Michael Jackson’s catalog skyrocketed by a staggering 95% during the film’s opening window. Over 14 of his iconic singles charted simultaneously on Spotify’s Global Weekly charts, while his multi-diamond masterpiece Thriller successfully fought its way back into the top 10 of the Billboard 200 album chart for the first time in decades.
Audience Adulation vs. Critical Skepticism
While audiences have turned the film into a global cultural event, Michael has had to navigate a deeply polarized media reception. The movie currently sits at a troubled 39% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics heavily targeting the film’s screenplay, written by John Logan.
Much of the pushback stems from the film’s treatment of the high-profile child sexual abuse allegations that shadowed Jackson’s later years. Investigative reports revealed that the production was legally bound by a restrictive, 20-year-old legal settlement clause with original 1993 accuser Jordan Chandler, which explicitly forbade Chandler from being depicted or characterized in any future biographical film.
As a result, filmmakers executed a massive, $50 million third-act reshoot, pivoting the film’s emotional climax away from the legal trials and focusing entirely on Jackson’s rigorous physical preparation for his historic 1987 Bad world tour.
The Next Target: Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’
Despite the mixed reviews, the exceptional audience retention rate—dropping a mere 10% in major Asian markets over its latest frame—indicates that the film has achieved rare, bulletproof status among moviegoers.
With Bohemian Rhapsody firmly in its rearview mirror, Michael has set its sights on an even larger historical milestone. The film is currently tracking to surpass the $975.8 million lifetime haul of Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning epic Oppenheimer. If the current trajectory holds through July, Jaafar Jackson’s transformative lead performance as his late uncle will not only claim the music crown but will secure Michael the title of the highest-grossing biographical film of any genre in cinema history.
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