Antoine Fuqua’s Michael has officially crossed $1 billion at the worldwide box office after 12 weekends in release, according to industry tracking data from The Numbers and Box Office Mojo. The milestone makes it only the second film of 2026 to reach that threshold, after Universal/Illumination/Nintendo’s The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and marks the first time in Lionsgate’s history that one of its releases has crossed $1 billion globally. In doing so, Fuqua becomes the third Black director ever to helm a billion-dollar film, joining fewer than 50 directors in history to have reached that mark.
The current breakdown stands at $378.1 million domestically and $629.8 million overseas, for a worldwide cumulative total of $1.007 billion. Japan, distributed locally by Kino Films and long considered the film’s most anticipated final market given Michael Jackson’s massive popularity there, has contributed $35.75 million and proved to be the territory that pushed the film across the milestone. Russia has also fueled the film’s recent momentum heading into its final stretch of release.
Lionsgate’s previous highest-grossing film of all time was The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013), which ended its global run at $865.2 million. Michael surpassed that mark well before reaching $1 billion.
A Record-Breaking Run
Michael debuted to $97.2 million domestically and $217 million globally on April 24, marking the biggest biopic opening weekend ever, surpassing previous genre benchmarks including Bohemian Rhapsody and Oppenheimer. From there, the film never looked back.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, the film stars Jaafar Jackson in his feature film debut as his uncle, the King of Pop, alongside Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Larenz Tate, Liv Symone, and Mike Myers. It traces Jackson’s rise from the Jackson 5 through his early solo career and the Bad era. The film is produced by Graham King, John Branca, and John McClain.
Despite mixed-to-negative critical reception, audiences responded far more warmly, awarding it an A- CinemaScore that drove strong word of mouth across its entire 12-weekend theatrical run.
Milestones Reached
- Biggest biopic opening weekend ever — $97.2M domestic, $217M global
- Biggest music biopic opening ever — more than 60% ahead of Straight Outta Compton‘s prior record of $60.2M
- Second music biopic ever to cross $500M globally, after Bohemian Rhapsody
- Highest-grossing music biopic domestically of all time, surpassing Bohemian Rhapsody‘s $216.7M
- Highest-grossing music biopic of all time worldwide, surpassing producer Graham King’s own record set by Bohemian Rhapsody ($911M)
- Highest-grossing biopic of all time worldwide, surpassing Oppenheimer ($975.8M)
- First music biopic ever to cross $1 billion worldwide
- Second film of 2026 to reach $1 billion globally, after The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
- First film in Lionsgate history to cross $1 billion worldwide, surpassing the studio’s previous all-time record of $865.2M set by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
- Third Black director ever to helm a billion-dollar film, joining fewer than 50 directors in history to reach that milestone
- Antoine Fuqua’s first billion-dollar film as a director, dwarfing his previous career-best of roughly $200M (King Arthur, 2004)
What the Filmmakers Said
“Michael’s success was driven by our phenomenal partnership with our remarkable filmmakers Graham King and Antoine Fuqua, the incomparable cast led by Jaafar Jackson, Colman Domingo and Nia Long, and our successful collaboration with the Michael Jackson Estate,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chair Adam Fogelson. “Audiences have embraced the film from the beginning, turning it into a unique cultural phenomenon in theatres around the world.”
“From its opening weekend to this historic milestone, Michael resonated with moviegoers worldwide and transcended the screen to become a cultural phenomenon,” said Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of Universal Pictures International. “It has been a distinct privilege to bring this groundbreaking film to international audiences, and we are grateful to Graham King, Antoine Fuqua and Jaafar Jackson for delivering a cinematic sensation that proves, decades after his stardom, Michael Jackson remains a global superstar like no other.”
“It’s been truly heartwarming to see people from all over the world, young and old, from all walks of life come together to experience this film and the joy that it’s brought to audiences everywhere,” said producer Graham King.
“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,” said director Antoine Fuqua. “This achievement belongs to everyone who came together with a shared vision to honor one of the greatest artists the world has ever known. I am profoundly grateful to the audiences around the globe who embraced this film, showed up in theaters, and connected with this story across generations and cultures.”
A Director Reaches New Heights
With Michael crossing $1 billion, Fuqua becomes the third Black director in history to helm a billion-dollar film, joining fewer than 50 directors worldwide who have ever reached that milestone. It is a landmark not just for Fuqua personally, but for Hollywood’s broader history behind the camera. His previous career-best was King Arthur (2004) at roughly $200 million worldwide, with the entire Equalizer trilogy peaking around $190-$192 million per entry. Michael is also notable for reaching this threshold without a franchise tentpole, superhero property, or animated film behind it — it is an original adult drama rooted in biography, making its performance all the more rare.