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'Michael' has crossed $1 billion at the global box office, the first time Lionsgate has ever hit that benchmark. Read more below.

Reported by Facebook
Jul 12, 2026· 2 min read
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Key Takeaways
  • • "Michael" has surpassed $1 billion at the global box office, marking the first time Lionsgate has achieved this milestone with any film and the first biopic in cinema history to cross the $1 billion threshold.
  • • The film opened to $97 million domestically and $217 million globally in its opening weekend, setting a new benchmark for musical biopics and outperforming prior category records.
  • • "Michael," a biopic starring Jafar Jackson about the King of Pop, has displaced previous Lionsgate box office leaders including "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" and "Twilight" films to become the studio's highest-grossing title.
  • • The North American market has generated approximately $360 million in domestic revenue, with international markets contributing the substantial remainder of the $1 billion-plus global total.
Summary
"Michael," a biographical film about Michael Jackson starring Jafar Jackson, has crossed the $1 billion threshold at the global box office, establishing dual records as both Lionsgate's first film to achieve this milestone and the first biopic in history to surpass $1 billion worldwide. This achievement represents a significant commercial success for Lionsgate Films and validates the market appetite for high-budget musical biographical dramas.

The film's opening performance was exceptionally strong, generating $97 million domestically and $217 million globally during its opening weekend—metrics that shattered the previous opening weekend benchmark for musical biopics. The domestic market has contributed approximately $360 million in North American revenue, with international markets contributing the remainder of the total gross. This international strength underscores the global recognition of the Jackson brand and broad audience appeal of the material beyond domestic U.S. markets.

"Michael" has superseded all previous Lionsgate releases in total box office revenue, including franchise titles such as "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" and the "Twilight" series films, which had previously held the studio's box office records. The film's ascent to $1 billion represents a major commercial inflection point for Lionsgate and signals sustained audience interest in prestige biographical cinema centered on iconic cultural figures.

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AlphaMaven summarised this story from the reporting below. Each link opens the original article.

Facebook 'Michael' has crossed $1 billion at the global box office, the first time Lionsgate has ever hit that benchmark. Read more below.