‘Michael’ Becomes Biggest Biopic Opening in Box Office History
The biopic Michael has made a huge impact at the global box office in its first weekend. According to reports from Deadline, the film opened with $217.4 million worldwide, setting a new record for the biggest debut ever for a biopic.
In North America, the film brought in about $97 million. International markets added another $120.4 million, with distribution handled by Universal Pictures. This strong performance puts it ahead of other recent releases, including Project Hail Mary.
Audience turnout has been very high. Data from EntTelligence shows that around 6.3 million people watched the film in the U.S. and Canada during opening weekend. Ticket prices averaged just over $15, with higher prices for premium formats.
The film also showed steady performance across the weekend. After a strong Friday that included preview screenings, Saturday held well with only a small drop. When preview numbers are removed, Saturday actually performed better than the main Friday earnings, which is a positive sign.
Premium formats like IMAX played a big role in the film’s success. The movie earned $24.4 million globally from IMAX screenings, marking a record for a musical biopic. In North America alone, IMAX made up a noticeable share of the total weekend revenue.
So far, Michael is also the biggest opening for a live-action film this year. Whether it crosses $100 million domestically will depend on how it performs in the following days.
The film has connected strongly with audiences. Reports say people are dancing in theaters, and many parents are bringing younger viewers to experience the music of Michael Jackson for the first time.
Marketing played a major role in the film’s success. Lionsgate, working with Universal, created a campaign focused on celebrating Jackson’s legacy. The idea was to bring his music and style into real-life experiences for fans.
The promotional campaign included global events, live performances, and interactive experiences. A major premiere event in Berlin gave fans a chance to explore exhibits tied to Jackson’s life. Across different cities, flash mob dance events and live performances attracted large crowds and strong online attention.
In the United States, there were pop-up galleries, dance installations, and surprise performances. Artists like Questlove took part in some of these events. Social media campaigns also played a big role, helping the film reach hundreds of millions of viewers online.
The film’s trailer had already shown strong interest before release, becoming one of the most viewed in Lionsgate’s history within its first day online. Promotions were timed with major cultural events connected to Jackson’s career.
Despite some legal issues connected to the story behind the film, audiences do not seem to be affected. Ticket sales suggest that most viewers are focused on the music and the overall experience.
Overall, the success of Michael helped boost the total weekend box office to more than $150 million, showing growth compared to the same period last year. The 2026 box office is also running ahead of 2025 so far.
This kind of opening shows how strong nostalgia and music-driven films can still be. People clearly want big, emotional experiences in theaters, especially when it comes to legendary artists. At the same time, it will be interesting to see if the film can keep this momentum in the coming weeks. What do you think about this huge opening? Do you think Michael will keep breaking records, or will it slow down? Share your thoughts in the comments.
