Michael Jackson Biopic Moonwalks to $217M Global Opening

The movie industry had its answer by Sunday morning. Michael, Antoine Fuqua’s big-budget biopic of the King of Pop starring Jaafar Jackson in the title role, opened to an estimated $97 million at the North American box office,  the biggest post-pandemic bow in Lionsgate’s history — while simultaneously storming international markets for a staggering worldwide total north of $217 million.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland alone, the film posted a record £8.4 million opening weekend, topping the local chart with authority and setting a new benchmark for music biopics in that market. It is a result that will reverberate across the industry well into awards season.

The opening was not without controversy. Critical reception has been decidedly mixed, with several reviewers accusing the film of glossing over the more troubled chapters of Jackson’s life in favor of a celebratory portrait of his artistry. Yet audiences have shown up in numbers that make critical reservations largely moot in the short term.

Producer Graham King, who shepherded the project through years of development and legal complications stemming from the Jackson estate, described the opening as validation of the team’s belief in the material. Fuqua, whose previous credits include Training Day and The Equalizer franchise, directed from a script that traces Jackson’s ascent from his childhood in Gary, Indiana through the peak of his global dominance.

Jaafar Jackson — Michael’s nephew — delivers what many audiences are calling a revelatory performance, capturing the singer’s physical mannerisms and vocal cadence in ways that have disarmed even skeptical viewers. The casting choice, initially controversial, now appears to be one of the film’s greatest strengths.

With a worldwide gross already exceeding $217 million after a single weekend, Michael is on a trajectory that could challenge the all-time records for music biographical films. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, 2026’s current domestic box office leader with over $361 million stateside, may face an unexpected challenger for year-end supremacy. The industry will be watching closely.