The King of Pop is still breaking records. Nearly 17 years after his death, Michael Jackson’s legacy has reached a new peak as the biopic Michael officially crossed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office, making history as the first biopic ever to achieve the milestone. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jackson’s real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson in his film debut, the movie has cemented its place among cinema’s biggest successes and is now the highest-grossing biopic of all time.
The road to $1 billion saw Michael surpass one major record after another. It first overtook the 2018 Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, which finished its theatrical run with $911 million worldwide. It then eclipsed Christopher Nolan’s 2023 hit Oppenheimer, which previously held the biopic crown with $977 million. The film opened to a staggering $217 million globally in its first weekend, the biggest ever for a musical biopic, and sustained its momentum through strong word of mouth.
Audiences embraced the film despite mixed critical reception. Michael holds just a 40% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, but fans pushed its audience score to an outstanding 97%, a gap that speaks to the emotional connection viewers felt with Jaafar Jackson’s portrayal of his legendary uncle. The success also marks a landmark moment for Lionsgate, making it the first independent studio to own and release a billion-dollar movie after several major studios reportedly passed on the project.
With its historic box office haul, Michael joins The Super Mario Galaxy Movie as the only two films of 2026 to surpass $1 billion. The milestone proves that biographical dramas can achieve blockbuster status on a global scale and solidifies the King of Pop’s enduring cultural relevance across generations.
