Michael has officially made box office history. In its third weekend in theaters, the Michael Jackson biopic surged past Bohemian Rhapsody to become the highest-grossing music biopic ever domestically. The film has now crossed an estimated $240.4 million in North America, overtaking Bohemian Rhapsody’s lifetime domestic total of roughly $216.6 million, according to Deadline.

The achievement marks another massive milestone for director Antoine Fuqua, star Jaafar Jackson, and Lionsgate. After debuting with a record-breaking $97 million opening weekend domestically, the film has continued to dominate thanks to strong word-of-mouth and exceptional audience reception.

Worldwide, Michael has already emerged as one of the biggest theatrical successes of 2026. While it still trails Bohemian Rhapsody globally, its domestic achievement is now officially unmatched in the music biopic genre.

The success of the film has also reignited global interest in Michael Jackson’s music catalog. From streaming spikes to chart resurgences, the cultural impact of the biopic continues to grow alongside its historic box office run.

The film’s record-breaking success is also translating directly into a massive resurgence for Michael Jackson’s music catalog.

Michael Jackson’s music sees a massive streaming explosion after Michael

Following the release of Michael, Michael Jackson shattered his own streaming records in the United States. According to Luminate, the King of Pop’s solo catalog generated 137.5 million official on-demand streams during the week of April 24-30, marking a massive 146% increase from the previous week.

The figure more than doubled his previous career high of 55.9 million weekly streams, while surpassing the 53.7 million streams recorded during the annual Halloween resurgence of 'Thriller' in 2019.

The biopic, which chronicles Jackson’s rise from The Jackson 5 to global superstardom between 1966 and 1988, also boosted streaming numbers for The Jacksons. Their catalogs jumped to 10.1 million and 4.9 million weekly streams, respectively, further showcasing the film’s cultural impact.

The renewed interest translated into major chart success across Billboard rankings. Jackson surged from No. 29 to No. 3 on the Billboard Artist 100, while his iconic album Thriller re-entered the Billboard 200 at No. 7 with 45,000 equivalent album units, up 425% week-over-week.

Songs including 'Billie Jean,' 'Beat It,' 'Human Nature,' and 'Smooth Criminal' also returned to the charts, while the soundtrack album 'Michael: Songs From the Motion Picture' debuted inside the Billboard 200 top 40.

With Michael now officially crowned the highest-grossing music biopic in North American box office history, the film has become far more than just a commercial success. It has reignited global conversations around Michael Jackson’s legacy, introduced his music to a new generation, and sparked one of the biggest catalog streaming surges ever recorded for a legacy artist.

Do you think Michael will eventually become the highest-grossing music biopic worldwide? Let us know in the comments!

Written by

Karishma Dasgupta

Edited by

Itti Mahajan