The King of Pop ‘Michael’ Closes In on the Biggest Domestic Biopic Record of All Time
Few films in recent memory have inspired the kind of sustained box office conversation that Antoine Fuqua’s ‘Michael’ has generated since its theatrical debut. The Lionsgate production opened to a record-smashing $97.2 million domestically, surpassing ‘Oppenheimer’ to claim the biggest domestic opening in history for any biopic. Starring Jaafar Jackson, the real-life nephew of the King of Pop, in his feature debut, the film quickly became one of the defining cinematic events of the year, drawing massive crowds eager to relive the music and mythology surrounding one of pop culture’s most towering figures.
The cast surrounding Jaafar Jackson includes Miles Teller, Colman Domingo, and Nia Long, with the film directed by Antoine Fuqua from a screenplay by John Logan. The story traces Jackson’s early years through the height of his ‘Bad Tour’ in 1988, not addressing the allegations that defined much of the later decades of his life. That focused, celebratory approach proved divisive among critics but clearly resonated with general audiences in a way that even the most optimistic early projections did not anticipate.
The numbers have since entered territory that feels genuinely historic. The film’s total domestic earnings have reached approximately $356.7 million, placing it ahead of ‘Aladdin’ and ‘Inside Out’ in overall U.S. box office totals and listing it among the top 75 highest-grossing domestic releases of all time. Most significantly, box office tracking now confirms that ‘Michael’ has matched ‘The Passion of the Christ’s remarkable 48-day streak of staying above the $1 million daily threshold, tying a record that stood for over two decades within the biopic category.
The Jaafar Jackson starrer beats ‘Superman’ and matches ‘Barbie’s 46-day streak as the fourth-longest streak above $1 million daily post-COVID at the North American box office. After its seventh weekend, the film dropped just 35.1% despite losing 482 theaters, a remarkably shallow decline that speaks to the word-of-mouth strength the film has maintained throughout its run. That kind of hold is typically reserved for once-in-a-generation theatrical events, placing ‘Michael’ in rarefied company.
The Passion of the Christ collected $370.3 million domestically over its lifetime, and that record has stood as the benchmark for highest-grossing biopic in U.S. history. Based on current trends, projections suggest that ‘Michael’ could potentially reach between $370 million and $380 million in total U.S. earnings, meaning the crown genuinely appears to be within reach. The question now is whether the momentum can hold.
Lionsgate has announced that the biopic will arrive on premium video-on-demand platforms on June 9, giving audiences a chance to watch it from home less than seven weeks after its theatrical debut. Physical media editions including DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD, and a collectible edition with a photo book are scheduled to release on July 14. Whether the PVOD window cannibalises the remaining theatrical gross or has minimal impact on its unusually loyal cinemagoing audience is the key variable no one can fully predict heading into the final stretch of its run.
‘Michael’ has become only the second music biopic to cross $500 million at the global box office, trailing only ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ which ended its theatrical run with over $903.6 million worldwide. With the domestic record tantalizingly close, the debate is already heating up online, and it might be the most compelling box office storyline of 2026.
Whether you think ‘Michael’ deserves to be remembered alongside the all-time greats or believe the domestic throne still rightfully belongs to Mel Gibson’s landmark film, one thing is certain, the King of Pop rarely settles for second place.
