The biographical film Michael, charting the life of pop icon Michael Jackson, crossed the $500 million global box office threshold on Thursday, May 7, confirming its status as one of 2026's most commercially resilient releases despite a contentious critical reception. Lionsgate and Universal confirmed the milestone in a joint statement Thursday morning, noting the film had outpaced studio projections by roughly 18 percent through its first three weekends of wide release.

The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson as his uncle, has polarised critics since its April opening — with many reviewers questioning the project's handling of abuse allegations against the late singer — yet audiences have continued to turn out in significant numbers. The consistent audience-versus-critic divide mirrors the reception pattern of earlier music biopics such as Bohemian Rhapsody, which also overcame poor reviews to become a global phenomenon.

In response to the strong performance, Lionsgate announced it would expand Michael's footprint by approximately 1,200 screens internationally, with particular focus on markets in Germany, South Korea, and Brazil, where pre-release tracking had shown untapped demand. The expansion is scheduled to begin Friday, with an additional 400 IMAX locations being added across Southeast Asia through an agreement with IMAX Corporation.

The Jackson estate, which cooperated with the production and holds a financial stake in the film, issued a statement Thursday welcoming the milestone, calling Michael's commercial performance 'a testament to the enduring global love for Michael's artistry.' Estate attorney John Branca described the crossing of the $500 million mark as 'just the beginning' of the film's theatrical run before a premium video-on-demand window opens in late June.

Industry analysts at Comscore now project Michael will finish its full theatrical run between $750 million and $850 million globally, which would place it among the top-grossing music biopics of all time. With a reported production budget of $150 million and a substantial marketing spend, the film is expected to move firmly into profitability territory for its distributors before the end of its theatrical window.