‘Michael’ keeps breaking records around the world becoming Lionsgate’s biggest movie ever

The Michael Jackson biopic is nearing another historic milestone as Japan prepares for its release next week

Michael has officially become one of the biggest success stories of 2026, with the Michael Jackson biopic continuing its remarkable run at the global box office.

According to industry figures reported by Deadline, the Antoine Fuqua directed film is set to become the highest grossing movie in Lionsgate history. Entering its seventh weekend in cinemas, Michael had already earned about $346.6m in North America and more than $508m internationally, pushing its worldwide total beyond $854m.

Those numbers place the film ahead of many of Lionsgate’s most successful releases and position it to surpass the studio’s previous record holders, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2. Both films were long considered the company’s biggest worldwide successes.

Starring Jaafar Jackson as his famous uncle, the film chronicles the life and career of Michael Jackson. The cast also includes Colman Domingo, Miles Teller and Nia Long. The project reunited Fuqua with producer Graham King, whose previous music biopic Bohemian Rhapsody became a worldwide phenomenon after its 2018 release.

Industry analysts are now watching the Japanese launch closely. The film opens in Japan on June 12, and expectations are high given the country’s long standing appreciation for Jackson’s music. Japan was one of the strongest international markets for the 2009 concert documentary This Is It, contributing significantly to that film’s worldwide performance.

Should Michael continue its current pace, it is expected to move beyond $900m globally. That would allow it to overtake Bohemian Rhapsody, which finished its theatrical run with approximately $911m worldwide, becoming the highest grossing musical biopic in cinema history.

The film has already outperformed Bohemian Rhapsody in several territories, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands.

Domestically, Michael established another milestone earlier in its run when it surpassed Bohemian Rhapsody to become the highest grossing musical biopic in North American box office history.

Strong audience support and steady week to week holds have helped sustain the film’s momentum. The success has also strengthened anticipation for a planned sequel, which Lionsgate executives have previously indicated remains in development.

For Lionsgate, Michael represents not only a commercial triumph but also the studio’s biggest global release ever.