“Michael,” the Antoine Fuqua-directed biopic chronicling Michael Jackson’s career from the Jackson 5 through his 1988 Bad world tour, began streaming on Starz on August 10 after a 108-day theatrical run that grossed $1.02 billion worldwide. The film is the first biographical movie in any genre to cross the billion-dollar threshold, surpassing both “Bohemian Rhapsody” ($910 million) and “Oppenheimer” ($976.7 million) for the all-time record. Starring Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s real-life nephew, in his feature film debut, “Michael” is now Lionsgate’s highest-grossing release in the studio’s history, and a sequel covering later chapters of Jackson’s career is already in active development.
Key Takeaways
- “Michael” began streaming on Starz on August 10, 2026, with a linear TV premiere at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT, following a theatrical run that ended July 23 with $372.3 million in domestic ticket sales and $1.02 billion worldwide.
- The film opened to $97.2 million domestically and $217 million globally in its first weekend, setting a new record for the largest biopic opening of all time, surpassing “Straight Outta Compton” ($60 million) and “Bohemian Rhapsody” ($51 million).
- Jaafar Jackson stars as Michael Jackson in his acting debut, with Juliano Valdi portraying Jackson as a child; the ensemble includes Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Kat Graham, Larenz Tate, Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, and Mike Myers.
- The film received an A- CinemaScore and a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, with widespread praise for Jaafar Jackson’s physical and vocal portrayal of his uncle.
- Lionsgate Studios Motion Picture Chair Adam Fogelson confirmed that sequel conversations are progressing, with filming for “Michael 2” expected to begin in late 2026 or early 2027.
Jaafar Jackson’s Debut Anchors a Film Built on Physical and Musical Authenticity
The commercial performance of “Michael” rests on a casting decision that could have easily backfired. Jaafar Jackson had no film credits before stepping into the role. He is a singer with two released singles, “Got Me Singing” (2019) and “Confused” (2020), and the son of Jermaine Jackson, who sang and played bass in the Jackson 5 from 1964 to 1975 before rejoining the family group in 1983. The decision to cast a Jackson family member carried obvious narrative value, but it also placed the burden of the film’s credibility on an untested performer who would need to physically inhabit one of the most imitated and studied bodies of work in popular music history.
The consensus from audiences and industry observers is that Jaafar delivered. His performance captured what critics described as “the look, the voice, the electrostatic moves” along with the internal tension between vulnerability and ambition that defined Jackson’s public persona. The film’s concert recreation sequences, which reproduce performances from the Jackson 5 era, the “Off the Wall” period, the “Thriller” explosion, and the Bad tour, required Jaafar to perform choreography and staging that audiences know frame by frame. The fact that those sequences are among the most praised elements of the film speaks to a performance calibrated for a viewership that would catch every misstep.
Juliano Valdi portrays Michael Jackson as a child in the film’s early Motown-era sequences, also making his feature debut. The transition between the two performers across the film’s timeline, from the Gary, Indiana, rehearsal rooms through the peak of Jackson’s solo dominance, is handled through John Logan’s screenplay, which structures the narrative as a rise story that ends at the height of the Bad tour rather than attempting to cover the entirety of Jackson’s life.
The Ensemble Cast Maps the Industry Ecosystem Around Jackson’s Career
“Michael” is not structured as a solo portrait. The cast surrounding Jaafar Jackson maps the network of family, industry, and cultural figures who shaped Jackson’s trajectory from child performer to global phenomenon. Colman Domingo plays family patriarch Joe Jackson, the steelworker-turned-manager whose demanding methods built the Jackson 5 and remained a contested presence throughout Michael’s career. Nia Long portrays Katherine Jackson, the family matriarch. Together, the two performances frame the domestic environment that produced one of the most commercially successful families in American entertainment.
On the industry side, Larenz Tate plays Motown founder Berry Gordy, the label executive who signed the Jackson 5 and launched the family into national visibility. Kat Graham appears as Diana Ross, whose early mentorship of the young Michael Jackson shaped both his artistic ambitions and his public profile. Miles Teller plays entertainment lawyer John Branca, who would become one of the defining business figures in Jackson’s career. Laura Harrier portrays Suzanne de Passe, the Motown creative executive who played a critical role in developing the Jackson 5’s image and material. Mike Myers rounds out the ensemble in an undisclosed role. Jackson’s siblings are portrayed by Jamal R. Henderson as Jermaine, Tre’ Horton as Marlon, Rhyan Hill as Tito, Joseph David-Jones as Jackie, and Jessica Sula as LaToya.
The Box Office Run Rewrote Records Across Every Metric
The commercial trajectory of “Michael” defied pre-release tracking at every stage. Early projections placed the opening weekend in the $50 million to $70 million range. The film opened to $97.2 million domestically and $217 million globally, instantly setting a new record for the largest biopic opening of all time. By June, it had surpassed “Bohemian Rhapsody” ($910 million) as the highest-grossing music biopic ever. On June 28, it passed “Oppenheimer” ($976.7 million) to become the highest-grossing biographical film in any genre. In July, it crossed the $1 billion global threshold, becoming only the second film of 2026 to reach that mark after Universal’s “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.”
The domestic run concluded on July 23 with $372.3 million in ticket sales. International markets contributed $647.7 million, driven by strong performance in Japan, the United Kingdom, and Latin America, markets where Jackson’s catalog has maintained deep cultural penetration across generations. The film moved to premium video on demand in June, then to Starz streaming on August 10, completing a rollout window designed to maximize revenue at each stage. Lionsgate invested an estimated $155 million to $200 million in the production, making the return on investment among the largest the studio has recorded.
The Film Sparked a Measurable Resurgence in Jackson’s Streaming Catalog
Beyond the box office, “Michael” generated a secondary revenue effect that is difficult to separate from the film’s cultural impact. In the weeks following the theatrical release, Jackson’s music catalog saw renewed streaming activity across Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. Songs featured prominently in the film, including material from “Off the Wall,” “Thriller,” and “Bad,” climbed streaming charts as audiences who saw the film revisited the catalog or encountered it for the first time. The film includes 30 songs across its 127-minute runtime, functioning as much as a concert document as a narrative biography.
For the Jackson estate, which co-produced the film through Optimum Productions alongside Graham King’s GK Films, the streaming catalog lift represents a financial multiplier that compounds the direct box office return. The estate has maintained Jackson’s catalog as one of the most valuable in popular music since his death in 2009, and the film’s commercial success reinforces the commercial logic of biographical filmmaking as a catalog activation strategy, a model that “Bohemian Rhapsody” first demonstrated for Queen and that “Michael” has now scaled to a new ceiling.
Lionsgate Confirms Sequel Development With Filming Expected by Early 2027
Lionsgate Studios Motion Picture Chair Adam Fogelson confirmed that a sequel is in active development. Fogelson stated that “all the conversations that we’ve been having with all of the appropriate parties continue to go exceptionally well,” adding that “there is a ton of incredibly entertaining Michael Jackson story, and much of the biggest and most popular parts of his music catalog that were not touched upon in the first film.” Filming for “Michael 2” is expected to commence in late 2026 or early 2027.
The sequel’s narrative territory is substantial. “Michael” ends during the Bad tour in 1988, meaning the sequel would cover Jackson’s “Dangerous” era, the “HIStory” period, the 1993 accusations and their aftermath, and potentially the later years leading to the planned “This Is It” concerts and Jackson’s death in 2009. The original screenplay had included a dramatization of the 1993 lawsuit, but a confidentiality clause in the settlement with the accuser barred the depiction or mention of the accuser in film or television, forcing a significant overhaul of the script’s third act. How the sequel navigates that restriction while covering the most scrutinized period of Jackson’s life will define whether Lionsgate can replicate the first film’s commercial trajectory or whether the more complex later chapters resist the crowd-pleasing treatment that drove the original to $1 billion.
Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute entertainment, financial, or investment advice. Box office figures, streaming dates, and sequel development details are based on publicly available studio announcements and industry reporting and may be subject to change. Readers should consult Starz or Lionsgate directly for the latest availability and programming information.
FAQs
Where Can Audiences Stream “Michael”?
“Michael” is available exclusively on Starz as of August 10, 2026, streaming on all Starz apps, streaming platforms, and on-demand services. The Starz channel aired the linear TV premiere the same day at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT. Starz subscriptions are available at $7.99 per month or $74.99 per year, with promotional pricing periodically offered for new subscribers.
How Much Did “Michael” Earn at the Box Office?
“Michael” grossed $1.02 billion worldwide across its theatrical run, with $372.3 million domestically and approximately $647.7 million internationally. The film is the first biographical movie of any kind to cross $1 billion, surpassing “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Oppenheimer” for the all-time biopic record. It is also Lionsgate’s highest-grossing film in the studio’s history and the second film of 2026 to reach the billion-dollar mark.
Is a Sequel Confirmed?
Lionsgate has confirmed that a sequel is in active development. Lionsgate Studios Motion Picture Chair Adam Fogelson stated that conversations with all relevant parties are going well and that a substantial portion of Jackson’s music catalog and career story remains untold. Filming for “Michael 2” is expected to begin in late 2026 or early 2027. The sequel would cover the period following the Bad tour, including Jackson’s “Dangerous” and “HIStory” eras.
