Lionsgate’s 'Michael' Hits $898M, Tops Studio Record
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- Lionsgate's Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael' has grossed $897.9M worldwide, surpassing 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' and 'Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2' to become the studio's highest-grossing film ever.
- Michael added $23.1M in its seventh global weekend, with $7.7M domestic and $15.4M international, maintaining strong holds despite declining by 35% domestically and 29% internationally.
- Universal distributed 'Michael' in most foreign markets, where it has earned $533.8M, while Volga handled non-Universal territories including Russia, where the film grossed close to $10M.
- Japan, opening June 12 via Kino in partnership with Lionsgate, is expected to push 'Michael' past $1B globally, following Japan's strong historical performance for Michael Jackson content like 'This Is It', which earned $57M there.
- 'Michael' has outperformed 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in key markets including the UK ($68.1M), France ($54.5M), Germany ($34.3M), Brazil ($32.2M), and Australia ($30.7M), and is already the Netherlands' No. 1 film for seven consecutive weeks.
- Graham King, producer of both 'Michael' and 'Bohemian Rhapsody', is on track to helm the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time, surpassing his own previous record of $911M with the Queen film.
Why it matters: Lionsgate gains a historic box office milestone with 'Michael' overtaking its two biggest franchises, while Graham King solidifies his dominance in the music biopic genre; the Japan release represents a material revenue inflection point that could push the film past $1B and definitively surpass 'Bohemian Rhapsody' in global earnings.
