Why Michael Jackson biopic could become the highest-grossing ever

Michael Jackson, the late King of Pop’s self-titled biopic, Michael, is scheduled for global release on April 22, 2026, with early industry projections suggesting it could become one of the highest-grossing music biopics to date.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, Michael is a musical biographical drama that traces Jackson’s life from his early years in The Jackson 5 in the 1960s through the beginning of his solo career.

The movie is projected to be one of the highest-grossing biopic movies ever. The film’s projected box office performance is not based on production scale alone. It is also predicted by the continued global demand for Michael Jackson’s music and image, more than a decade after his death in 2009. 

His catalogue remains active across streaming platforms, with millions of listeners engaging with his songs daily, while his videos continue to attract billions of views on YouTube. This level of ongoing consumption suggests that audience interest in his story is already established ahead of the film’s release, positioning Michael for strong commercial performance.

On Spotify alone, Jackson still records about 68 million monthly listeners, placing him among the most-streamed legacy artists globally. His catalog continues to generate consistent daily streams, led by songs like Billie Jean with about 2.6 billion streams, Beat It with 1.6 billion, and Smooth Criminal with about 1 billion streams.

On YouTube, the trend is also similar. Billie Jean has close to 2 billion views, while Beat It and They Don’t Care About Us are also above the 1 billion mark. These figures have shown active engagement from both older audiences and younger listeners discovering his work through streaming platforms.

Topping the music chart every October is Thriller. Thriller goes up the chart in streams and video views, especially during Halloween. In some years, the song records several hundred percent increase in activity, driven by cultural reuse across parties, social media, and themed content in the Western world due to Halloween. 

This sustained visibility is one of the key reasons the biopic movie could outperform other biopic movies. Michael could perform strongly at the box office. Unlike many biopics that rely on nostalgia alone, Jackson’s music remains active in global streaming cycles, meaning the audience base is still consuming his work regularly.

The biopic market itself has also shown strong commercial results in recent years. Films like Bohemian Rhapsody grossed over $900 million worldwide, while Oppenheimer reached about $950 million. Faith-based and historical biopics like The Passion of the Christ also crossed $600 million globally, showing that audiences strongly consume real-life stories paired with cultural relevance.

Recent African biopics have also contributed to this trend on a smaller scale. Bob Marley: One Love earned over $180 million, while Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti recorded over N150 million in Nigeria, showing how local stories can perform when backed by strong cultural identity and audience connection.

Against this background, Michael remains at the intersection of global music legacy, strong streaming performance, and one of the most recognisable entertainment figures in modern history. The film’s reach is expected to extend across music fans, biopic audiences, and younger viewers familiar with Jackson’s catalogue through digital platforms.

With continued streaming activity, recurring cultural moments like Halloween, and a global fan base that remains active across platforms, industry observers suggest that Michael enters the 2026 box office cycle with a level of visibility that few biopics have had before release.

The film casts Jaafar Jackson, Jackson’s nephew, in the lead role. Jaafar, the son of Jermaine Jackson, one of Michael’s brothers and a member of the Jackson 5. His casting places a member of the Jackson family at the centre of the portrayal.

The supporting cast in the movie includes Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, the family’s patriarch, and Nia Long as Katherine Jackson. Miles Teller plays John Branca, a long-time legal and business representative for Jackson. Other roles feature Kendrick Sampson as producer Quincy Jones, Larenz Tate as Motown founder Berry Gordy, and Laura Harrier as music executive Suzanne de Passe. Younger versions of Jackson and his brothers are also included, showing the group’s early performances and rise.

The film is about the key periods of Jackson’s life: his introduction to music through family performances, the structure and discipline within the Jackson household, his emergence as a standout performer in the group, and the shift into a solo career that would later define global pop culture.

Fuqua, known for directing large-scale character-driven films, brings a structured narrative approach to the project, while Logan’s screenplay aims to balance personal history with the commercial rise of one of the world’s most recognised entertainers.