The musical biopic Michael, based on the life of legendary pop icon Michael Jackson, has crossed the $1 billion milestone at the worldwide box office, creating history for Lionsgate. It is the first film released by the studio to achieve the feat and only the second movie of 2026 to enter the billion-dollar club after Super Mario Galaxy.

The film reached the landmark after completing 12 weekends in theatres. With this achievement, it has become the highest-grossing release in Lionsgate's history, overtaking The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which previously held the studio's box office record.

According to the latest figures, Michael has earned approximately $371.8 million in North America and another $629.8 million from international markets. A strong theatrical performance in Japan—one of Michael Jackson's most popular overseas markets—played a significant role in helping the film cross the billion-dollar mark. The movie has also continued to perform in other territories, including Russia.

The film's commercial success has also rewritten several industry records. It has overtaken Oppenheimer to become the highest-grossing biographical film ever released worldwide. For producer Graham King, it now stands as his most successful production, surpassing the lifetime earnings of Bohemian Rhapsody.

The milestone also marks the biggest box office success of director Antoine Fuqua's career, exceeding the worldwide earnings of his previous films. Screenwriter John Logan has also added another major hit to his filmography, second only to the James Bond blockbuster Skyfall.

Reflecting on the achievement, Fuqua thanked audiences around the world for embracing the film, saying the record was the result of the dedication of everyone involved in the project. He described the milestone as a celebration of cinema's ability to connect people across countries and generations while paying tribute to one of music's most influential performers.

Michael stars Jaafar Jackson, nephew of the late singer, in his feature film debut as Michael Jackson. The cast also features Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Miles Teller, Mike Myers, Colman Domingo and Juliano Valdi. The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua, written by John Logan, and produced by Graham King alongside John Branca and John McClain.