Film about Michael Jackson surpassed half a billion dollars, while a wave of interest is restarting his music catalog
The biographical film Michael, the long-awaited screen adaptation of Michael Jackson's life, has surpassed the threshold of 500 million dollars in global box-office revenue and, in just a few weeks, has become one of the biggest commercial film events of the year. According to data published by People, citing a Deadline report, the film had reached 577 million dollars in worldwide revenue by May 11, 2026, of which 240.4 million dollars came from the domestic market of the United States and Canada and 336.88 million dollars from international markets. With that, the production about Jackson has already overtaken a series of successful music biographical films and further confirmed that interest in the life and work of one of the best-known pop performers of the 20th century remains exceptionally strong.
The success in cinemas simultaneously triggered renewed growth in listening to Jackson's music on digital platforms. According to data from the analytics company Luminate, reported by the Associated Press agency, streams of Jackson's catalog in the United States rose by 95 percent during the film's opening weekend compared with the same part of the previous weekend. AP states that Jackson's music generated 31.7 million streams in the U.S. on April 24 and 25, while 16.3 million streams were recorded the previous weekend. Such a jump is especially significant for Sony Music, which, according to reports by music business media, agreed in 2024 to purchase a 50-percent stake in Jackson's catalog of recordings and publishing rights.
A record start and a rapid rise among the most successful biographical films
The film Michael arrived in American cinemas on April 24, 2026, while its international release began several days earlier in selected markets. According to a Euronews report, the film earned 217.4 million dollars worldwide in its first weekend, including 97 million dollars in cinemas in the United States and Canada and 120.4 million dollars in overseas markets. In doing so, it set a new opening record for a music biographical film and surpassed earlier comparable titles such as Straight Outta Compton and Bohemian Rhapsody, which had previously defined the genre's commercial potential.
According to data from Box Office Mojo, the film follows the early life of Michael Jackson, from the discovery of his talent as the youngest member of the group Jackson 5 to the period in which he sought to become the greatest entertainer in the world. The lead role is played by Jaafar Jackson, the son of Jermaine Jackson and nephew of Michael Jackson, while the film is directed by Antoine Fuqua. The screenplay is by John Logan, and the producers include Graham King, John Branca and John McClain. The cast also includes Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, Miles Teller as John Branca, Laura Harrier as Suzanne de Passe and Mike Myers as Walter Yetnikoff.
The growth in revenue after the opening weekend shows that the film not only had a strong start, but also broad international audience support. According to People, by May 11 the film had crossed 577 million dollars and become the second highest-grossing biographical film by global revenue, behind Bohemian Rhapsody, which, according to the same source, earned 910.8 million dollars worldwide. Such a pace of earnings is also important because music biographical films have traditionally depended on long-lasting audience interest, viewer recommendations and repeat cinema visits, not only on a large opening weekend.
International markets were crucial for crossing the 500-million-dollar mark
A large part of the film's success comes from outside North America. According to People, the film performed strongly in markets such as the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, Brazil and France. In France, according to the same report, it was in first place during the observed weekend and earned 7.2 million dollars. Such a distribution of revenue shows that Jackson's name still has global market power, especially in countries where his music has been present for decades in radio programming, television archives, concert recordings and digital playlists.
In the United Kingdom, the film also opened exceptionally strongly. According to a report by The Guardian, Michael earned 11.6 million pounds in its first three days in cinemas in the United Kingdom and Ireland, which is significantly more than the comparable opening of Bohemian Rhapsody in that market. The Guardian states that the film accounted for 68 percent of total box-office revenue in the United Kingdom and Ireland during that period, indicating pronounced dominance over the competition in its release week.
It is also important that, at the time of the first reports, the film had already opened in most of the world, but not in all key markets. After the opening weekend, Euronews reported that the Japanese release was expected in June, which means that the film's full international reach had not yet been finally shaped at that moment. Precisely such later entries into major markets can further extend the film's theatrical life and maintain interest in the title even after the initial wave of media attention.
The streaming effect: the film brought audiences back to the songs
Box-office revenue is only one part of the broader commercial effect. According to Luminate data reported by the Associated Press, Jackson's music catalog in the U.S. recorded a 95-percent increase in streams during the film's opening weekend. AP states that this growth is directly connected with the release of the film, which brought songs from different phases of Jackson's career closer to audiences again. On Apple Music, according to the same report, after the film's release Jackson had eight songs on the global daily Top 100 chart, with Billie Jean placed the highest, at number 11.
The wave of interest did not stop only at the solo catalog. The Associated Press states that the music of the group The Jackson 5 also recorded a strong jump. According to Luminate data, the group's songs had 2.4 million streams on April 24 and 25, compared with 1.3 million streams the previous weekend, which means growth of 85 percent. Shazam, according to AP, also recorded 140 percent greater activity connected with Jackson during the weekend from April 24 to 26 compared with the previous weekend, and seven of Jackson's songs entered the global list of the 200 most-searched songs on that platform.
Such an effect is not unusual for major music biographical films, but in Jackson's case it is especially pronounced because of the size of his catalog and the fact that this is a performer whose music has been present in mass culture for decades. Films about musicians often act as a new entry point into the catalog for younger audiences, but also as a reminder to older listeners of songs that marked particular periods of popular music. In this case, the effect can be seen both through the box office and through digital consumption, creating a double commercial gain for rights holders.
Why Sony Music is among the biggest beneficiaries of the new wave of interest
Sony Music has a particular interest in this development because of the ownership structure of the rights to Jackson's catalog. According to a Music Business Worldwide report from August 2024, a California appeals court gave Jackson's estate the green light to continue the sale of a stake in the catalog to Sony Music. That deal, according to the same report, was worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and music business media had previously reported that Sony had agreed to acquire a 50-percent stake in Jackson's recordings and publishing rights, with the total value of the catalog estimated at between 1.2 and 1.5 billion dollars.
This means that increased listening to Jackson's music benefits not only the estate and other related legal entities, but also Sony as a major holder of an economic interest in the catalog. Streaming revenue per individual listen is usually small, but in a catalog with millions of additional plays and a global audience, the cumulative effect can be substantial. In addition to the streams themselves, growing interest can also encourage new synchronization deals, sales of physical editions, placement of compilations, editorial promotion on platforms and additional value of the catalog as an investment asset.
In the music industry, the catalogs of major performers have in recent years become an important asset class. Companies and investment funds invest in rights to recordings and songs because they can generate revenue through streaming, radio airplay, films, series, commercials, video games and social platforms. In that context, the success of the film Michael shows how an audiovisual project can reactivate an already established catalog and increase its market value without creating new music.
The film is a commercial hit, but also a subject of debate
Despite its exceptional earnings, the film did not pass without criticism and public debate. In its report, the Associated Press states that the film achieved great commercial success despite negative reviews from some film critics. AP critic Jake Coyle described it as a film that relives the extraordinary peaks of Jackson's career, but neglects its darker parts. The Guardian also emphasized that the film depicts Jackson's life up to 1988, before the later allegations of child sexual abuse that shaped debates about his legacy.
That fact is especially important for understanding the divided reactions. The film is authorized and was made with the participation of Jackson's estate, which allowed it access to music, family perspectives and spectacular reconstructions of his career, but at the same time opened the question of how critical such a project can be toward its own subject. According to media reports, the film mostly focuses on Jackson's rise, early family life, work in the Jackson 5 and key moments of his solo career, while the most controversial later periods are not at the center of the portrayal.
Such an approach evidently did not prevent audiences from buying tickets in large numbers. The commercial results show that a substantial share of viewers responded above all because of the music, stage reconstructions, nostalgia and curiosity about Jaafar Jackson's performance. At the same time, debates about what the film includes and what it leaves out will probably continue, especially if plans or expectations are confirmed for a possible sequel that would cover later periods of Jackson's life.
Biographical films once again confirm the power of music brands
The success of the film Michael fits into a broader trend of great interest in music biographies. Bohemian Rhapsody about Freddie Mercury and the group Queen, Rocketman about Elton John, Elvis about Elvis Presley and Straight Outta Compton about the group N.W.A. showed that a well-known music catalog can be just as important a commercial engine as the cast or the director's name. With such films, viewers are not buying only a story, but also an emotional relationship with songs they already know.
Michael further strengthened that pattern because it is about a performer whose videos, dance moves and concert performances were an integral part of global pop culture. The film therefore functions not only as a biographical drama, but also as a reconstruction of recognizable images: performances, choreography, studio work, family relationships and the creation of a public identity that went beyond the music industry itself. According to available reports on revenue and digital consumption, audiences reacted to the film both by going to cinemas and by returning to the songs on streaming services.
For film studios and owners of music rights, this is an important signal. At a time when the cinema market is uneven and audiences are not easy to attract outside major franchises, music biographical films offer a combination of a familiar name, an existing international audience and additional revenue outside cinemas. In Jackson's case, that model received particularly strong confirmation because the film, the catalog and global recognition operated as a connected commercial system.
What follows after crossing half a billion dollars
After the film surpassed 500 million dollars and, according to available reports, reached around 577 million dollars by May 11, the key questions will be how long it can maintain its pace in cinemas and what effect later international releases will have. If audience interest continues, the film could further solidify its status as one of the most successful music biographical projects in history. The comparison with Bohemian Rhapsody remains inevitable, but that film reached worldwide revenue above 900 million dollars over a longer theatrical life and with a strong awards-season effect.
At present, it is safer to say that Michael has already achieved a result that exceeds the usual boundaries of the genre. According to available data, the film broke through the half-billion-dollar threshold, triggered strong streaming growth and reopened the debate about how the legacy of great but controversial artists is shaped in popular culture. For Sony Music and Jackson's estate, this means increased monetization of the catalog, while for the film industry it means confirmation that music biographical films, when the name, catalog and global audience align, can still produce an exceptionally large commercial effect.
Sources:
- Associated Press – Luminate data on the growth of streams of Jackson's catalog after the film's release and information about the U.S. opening (link)
- People – report on global revenue of 577 million dollars, international markets and comparison with other biographical films (link)
- Box Office Mojo – basic information about the film, plot description and box-office revenue (link)
- Euronews – data on the global opening of 217.4 million dollars and the film's international start (link)
- The Guardian – report on the film's result in the United Kingdom and Ireland and the context of the depiction of Jackson's life up to 1988 (link)
- Music Business Worldwide – report on court approval for the sale of a stake in Jackson's catalog to Sony Music and estimates of the value of the rights (link)
RECOMMENDED ACCOMMODATION