Michael ends theatrical run with $1.028 billion, the biggest biopic ever

Lionsgate’s Michael has finished its theatrical run with $1.028 billion worldwide, reportedly becoming the first biopic to pass $1 billion after opening in April 2026.

TL;DR

• Michael wrapped with about $1.028 billion worldwide, the highest total for any biopic.
• It beat Bohemian Rhapsody as the top music biopic and passed Oppenheimer overall.
• It ranks fourth among 2026 releases, behind Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Odyssey and Toy Story 5.
• In the UK, Universal released it on April 22, and it opened to £8.4 million.

How Michael became the highest-grossing biopic ever

The final total is $1,028,706,645, according to Box Office Mojo figures reported by MJVibe. The site noted that worldwide totals were adjusted days after publication.

The film crossed the $1 billion line in July, when it stood at $1.001 billion, according to Variety. That made it Lionsgate’s first billion-dollar release, Deadline reported.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film stars Jaafar Jackson as his uncle, Michael Jackson, in his acting debut. Lionsgate handled North America, while Universal distributed internationally.

Fuqua called the milestone “a deeply humbling moment” in a statement to Variety.

Where Michael ranks among 2026’s billion-dollar films

Spider-Man: Brand New Day leads the year with roughly $2.5 billion, and The Odyssey sits near $1.75 billion, according to AllHipHop. Our Spider-Man: Brand New Day review covers the film behind that top spot.

Nolan’s epic also set new marks along the way, as we reported when The Odyssey passed $1.7 billion.

Toy Story 5 and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie are reportedly at $1.15 billion and $1.012 billion. I could not independently confirm those two final totals. Our Super Mario Galaxy Movie review looks at how that film played with critics.

Michael passed Bohemian Rhapsody‘s $911 million to become the top music biopic. TheWrap reported that it set biopic records in 31 territories overseas.

Michael’s UK release date and box office

Universal released Michael in the UK on April 22, two days before its US debut, according to Wikipedia’s film entry.

It opened to £8.4 million across 709 UK-Ireland locations, the biggest opening ever for a music biopic, Screen Daily reported. That beat the openings of Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman and Elvis.

Why the $1 billion milestone matters

No biopic had previously reached $1 billion, and Oppenheimer held the overall record at about $975 million, according to Variety. Michael has now cleared that by a wide margin.

Variety also reported that Lionsgate is expected to greenlight at least one more film about Jackson’s life.

---

Reported from publicly available interviews and verified press sources. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.