'Michael' Hits Starz After Becoming the First Biopic to Cross $1 Billion

Let's be honest about what's happening here: the Michael Jackson biopic has done something no biographical film has ever done, and the culture is still figuring out how to feel about it.

According to a report reviewed by Deadline, "Michael," Lionsgate's highest-grossing film in its studio history, began streaming exclusively on Starz on August 10 after a 108-day theatrical run. The numbers are not subtle. As reported by Music Observer, the film grossed $1.02 billion worldwide, with $372.3 million coming from domestic ticket sales and roughly $647.7 million from overseas markets. That makes it the first biographical film of any genre, ever, to cross the billion-dollar mark, surpassing both "Bohemian Rhapsody" and Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" to claim the all-time record.

As reported by Deadline, the film opened to $97.2 million domestically and $217 million worldwide, which set a new record for the largest opening weekend for any biopic. It then just kept going. By June, per Music Observer, it had cleared "Bohemian Rhapsody." By late June, it had cleared "Oppenheimer." By July, it had cleared a billion.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, the film covers Jackson's career from his years in the Jackson 5 through his 1988 Bad world tour. Jackson is played by his real-life nephew, Jaafar Jackson, who had no prior film credits before this. As reported by Variety, Colman Domingo plays Joe Jackson, Nia Long plays Katherine Jackson, and Miles Teller plays John Branca, Jackson's longtime attorney and advisor.

Here's where the story gets genuinely complicated. According to CBR, the film earned mixed-to-negative reviews from critics while pulling a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. That's not a rounding error. That's a chasm. Variety's critic Owen Gleiberman praised Jaafar Jackson for capturing "the look, the voice, the electrostatic moves," per TheGrio, while the film's critical detractors found it handled the more contested chapters of Jackson's legacy with notable caution. The Hollywood Reporter previously noted that an earlier cut's third act had to be reworked because it depicted an accuser who had a settlement with the Jackson estate barring any dramatization. The film essentially ends before the most contested period of Jackson's life begins.

That's a real editorial choice, and it shapes what "Michael" is: a celebration pitched to fans who want the music and the mythology, not a reckoning. Which, clearly, is what audiences showed up for in enormous numbers across every international market.

Now comes the streaming chapter. According to Collider, Lionsgate film chief Adam Fogelson has confirmed that a sequel is in development, with production expected to begin in late 2026 or early 2027 and a potential release in late 2027 or early 2028. So the conversation isn't over. It's just moving into its second act, literally.

The Starz arrival also puts the film in front of a whole new audience, including the curious and the skeptical who sat out the theatrical run. That cohort is going to have opinions. The comments sections are going to be a situation. Whether that attention lifts the sequel into similar territory is the only box-office question left worth asking.

Sources cited:
- Deadline (https://deadline.com/2026/07/michael-streaming-date-1237004628/)
- Music Observer (https://musicobserver.com/michael-arrives-on-starz-after-becoming-the-first-biopic-to-cross-1-billion-at-the-global-box-office/)
- Variety (https://variety.com/2026/film/news/michael-streaming-release-date-michael-jackson-starz-1236757504/)
- TheGrio (https://thegrio.com/2026/07/29/michael-jackson-biopic-streaming-date-starz/)
- CBR (https://www.cbr.com/michael-jackson-biopic-starz-streaming-success-august-2026/)
- Collider (https://collider.com/michael-jackson-biopic-streaming-starz-august-10-2026/)
- The Hollywood Reporter (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/michael-jackson-biopic-spring-2026-release-1236327611)