‘Michael’ Gets a China Extension Just as It Closes In on $1 Billion Worldwide

Few theatrical runs in recent memory have generated the kind of sustained, almost improbable momentum that the Michael Jackson biopic ‘Michael’ has built across global markets.

What began as a passion project with a turbulent production history has quietly transformed into one of the defining box office stories of the decade, and its journey through China just got an unexpected second act.

The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson as his legendary uncle, arrived in Chinese cinemas in late April to remarkable local enthusiasm. On its opening weekend in China, ‘Michael’ grossed $5.9 million from 30,000 screens, enough to land at number one in the market, and posted a Maoyan rating of 9.6, the highest score for any Hollywood film released in China that year. Michael Jackson’s status as a beloved icon among older Chinese generations fueled nostalgic, event-style screenings across the country, many organized by dedicated fan communities.

Then came the twist. According to journalist Keen Zhang, the president of the Michael Jackson Chinese Fan Community, fans had spent last weekend organizing farewell events and final screenings, believing the film’s theatrical window was drawing to a close. Instead, word came through that Chinese film authorities had approved a one-month extension, pushing the film’s run in cinemas through to July 23.

According to Keen Zhang, Chinese authorities approved an extension of the movie’s theatrical run, allowing ‘Michael’ to remain in cinemas until July 23. The news arrived as a genuine surprise, turning farewell events into fresh celebrations and giving fans who had not yet seen the film, or who wanted to see it again, another full month of screenings.

China has not been the film’s strongest individual market in raw gross terms. The territory had surpassed $10 million in cumulative earnings by week five of the global rollout, a solid but not spectacular figure compared to the film’s dominant performances across the UK, France, Germany, Brazil, and Mexico. But the extension reflects something harder to quantify than ticket sales, specifically the depth of audience passion that has made this run so unusual.

The larger context of this extension is a film that has been rewriting records almost weekly. At week seven of its global run, ‘Michael’ officially surpassed ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’s lifetime worldwide gross to become the highest-grossing music biopic of all time, with $932.2 million earned globally. The film now sits at roughly $970 million worldwide according to the latest tracking, with the billion-dollar milestone firmly in sight.

What makes those numbers genuinely extraordinary is the critical context surrounding them. Only 38 percent of critics’ reviews on Rotten Tomatoes were positive, with the consensus noting that while Jaafar Jackson’s performance brings the King of Pop to uncanny life, the film plays more like a greatest hits album than a searching portrait of its subject. Audiences have responded as though none of that matters, delivering an audience score that sits at record-breaking levels for the genre.

Industry observers have noted that the Japan release alone could push ‘Michael’ past the $1 billion global milestone, which would make it only the second film to cross that threshold in the current theatrical year. A China extension that keeps the film alive in one of the world’s largest cinema markets for another month adds a meaningful additional layer to that calculation.

Producer Graham King reflected on Jackson’s enduring pull, saying in a statement, “Michael Jackson’s artistry and brilliance make him the biggest star on the planet.” The crowds that turned out not just to watch the film but to organize tribute events, gather in costumes, and treat screenings as communal celebrations have validated that claim in ways no marketing campaign could manufacture.

For a film that spent years in troubled development, required costly reshoots, and launched to a chorus of critical skepticism, the prospect of a billion-dollar finish now feels not just likely but almost inevitable.

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