Michael Jackson’s Biopic Moonwalks Toward $1 Billion, Japan Pushes Film Globally

Michael Jackson’s blockbuster biopic is closing in on the $1 billion mark after a powerful debut in Japan added to its historic box office run.

Michael is closing in on one of the movie industry’s most exclusive clubs.

After already rewriting the record books as the highest-grossing music biopic ever, Michael is now within striking distance of the coveted $1 billion mark at the global box office.

New reports say the film can thank a strong debut in Japan for the bump/

The Michael Jackson biopic, directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, has already amassed more than $911.9 million worldwide before its long-awaited Japanese rollout. Japan one of Jackson’s most loyal international markets and could push the project past the billion-dollar threshold.

If it reaches that milestone, Michael would become just the second film of 2026 to cross $1 billion globally, following The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

The film opened in Japan through a partnership between Lionsgate and Kino Films. On its first Friday, the movie generated an estimated $2.3 million, giving it the second-biggest opening day for a Hollywood release in Japan this year. Only The Devil Wears Prada 2 posted a larger debut.

Just as important as the opening numbers is the film’s early endurance. By its fourth day in theaters, Michael added another estimated $1.6 million, representing only a 33% decline from weekend levels and bringing its Japanese total to roughly $9 million.

Those figures have drawn comparisons to the Japanese launch of Bohemian Rhapsody, the previous record holder for highest-grossing music biopic. Michael already surpassed that film’s worldwide earnings earlier in its theatrical run, cementing its place atop the genre.

Japan has historically been one of Jackson’s strongest overseas markets. The concert documentary This Is It generated approximately $57 million in Japan alone during its international run, underscoring the singer’s enduring popularity in the country.

Initial forecasts projected a Japanese opening weekend between $6.5 million and $8 million, numbers that would have comfortably outperformed both Bohemian Rhapsody and This Is It in the market. Early results suggest those estimates may have been overly cautious.

Michael appears poised to become the latest member of the billion-dollar box office club, barring any significant slow down.

Related