The Michael Jackson biopic box office record is here and it arrived faster than anyone expected. Lionsgate’s Michael, directed by
Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson as his late uncle, pulled in between $12.5 million and $13.5 million across its combined
preview screenings. That figure includes IMAX and premium large-format fan screenings that began Wednesday evening, plus
additional showtimes that kicked off Thursday at noon.
The numbers place Michael in rare company before its official opening weekend has even begun.
How it compares to 5 major films
What makes the Michael Jackson biopic box office record so remarkable is the company it keeps and beats. Here is how Michael‘s preview total stacks up against five notable competitors:
- Straight Outta Compton — $4.96M in previews, which led to a $60.2M opening, the previous record for the musical biopic subgenre.
- Project Hail Mary — $12M in combined previews, which translated into an $80.5M opening weekend.
- John Wick: Chapter 4 — $8.9M, previously Lionsgate’s biggest post-COVID preview haul.
- Dune: Part Two — $12M in previews.
- Oppenheimer — $10.5M in previews.
Michael surpasses all five. It also edges out Toy Story 4 ($12M) and A Minecraft Movie ($10.55M), making it one of the strongest preview performances in recent Hollywood history. For Lionsgate specifically, analysts are pointing to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 in 2015, which earned $16M in previews, as the last time the studio saw numbers in this range.
Audiences vs. critics
The divide between audience and critical reception is wide. Michael holds a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, while its critical score sits at 40%. Many reviewers have noted that the film deliberately sidesteps the sexual abuse allegations made against Jackson during his lifetime. Fuqua, however, appears to be constructing a larger narrative across what may become a multi-part story, with clear groundwork laid for a potential sequel.
For fans, that approach is clearly working. The enthusiasm driving preview attendance suggests a deeply loyal audience willing to show
up opening weekend and beyond.
International numbers add to the momentum
The domestic preview surge is only part of the story. Michael also opened internationally through Universal, earning $18.5 million on
its first day abroad. That figure set a new record for a musical biopic on its opening day across most territories where it debuted.
Combined with domestic previews, the film’s early global total is already positioning it as one of 2026’s most commercially significant
releases.
Lionsgate and Universal have not yet released a formal opening weekend projection, but early tracking models and the strength of
presales which reportedly surpassed those of Project Hail Mary before previews even began suggest a debut well above $80 million
domestically is within reach.
What comes next
With the official opening weekend still ahead, Michael has already changed the conversation around what a musical biopic can earn.
Fuqua’s direction and Jaafar Jackson’s performance as one of the most iconic entertainers in history appear to be connecting with
audiences in a meaningful way.
Source: Deadline Hollywood
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