By Ben Fritz

Hollywood's bet that audiences want to celebrate Michael Jackson paid off this weekend, as a biopic about the pop star opened to an estimated $217.4 million in worldwide sales.

Lionsgate's and Universal Pictures' "Michael" grossed $97 million domestically and $120.4 million internationally, according to the studios. In the U.S. and Canada, it posted the biggest-ever opening for a biopic, market-research firm Comscore said.

Despite largely negative reviews from critics who called the film superficial, audiences flocked to the uplifting take on Jackson's early career packed with classic songs like "Bad" and "Thriller."

"Michael" earned an A- grade from opening-night audiences, according to market-research firm CinemaScore.

About 60% of ticket buyers were women, research firm PostTrak found, and the film overperformed in areas where at least 25% of residents are Black, according to another data firm, EntTelligence.

Internationally, the movie performed particularly well in the U.K., France and Mexico, but more modestly in China. It opens in June in Japan, where Jackson was particularly popular and a local distributor bought the rights.

"Michael" cost Lionsgate and Universal about $150 million to produce. Michael Jackson's estate funded tens of millions of dollars in reshoots after realizing a legal settlement the late singer signed with a boy who accused him of sexual misconduct forbade them from commercializing his story. The film now ends in the late 1980s, before the emergence of accusations that Jackson sexually abused children, which he denied.

Lionsgate and Universal have been preparing to make a sequel dealing with the rest of the singer's life if this film is a success. Lionsgate's motion-picture group chairman, Adam Fogelson, previously said shooting could begin later this year, which means the movie could come out in late 2027 or 2028.

"Michael" is the latest in a string of big-budget bets that have paid off at the box office this year, including Amazon MGM's "Project Hail Mary" and Universal and Nintendo's "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie." Domestic movie-ticket sales are up 14% from last year, but 18% below where they were at this point in 2019, according to Comscore, as people are still going to cinemas less than before the pandemic.

Write to Ben Fritz at ben.fritz@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 26, 2026 13:19 ET (17:19 GMT)

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