Michael Jackson biopic storms Nigerian cinemas, break world box office record in two days

The 2026 Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, made N123.2 million in Nigerian cinemas within its first three days.

The movie earned N111.6 million on its opening day before reaching a total of N123.2 million between April 24 and 26, according to early box office reports.

The strong performance came despite the film not being shown by Filmhouse Group, one of West Africa’s biggest cinema chains.

Worldwide, Michael also had a huge opening weekend. The movie made about $218.8 million globally, with $97.2 million coming from the United States and $121.6 million from other countries.

The film has now become the biggest global opening ever for a music biopic, beating previous record-holder Bohemian Rhapsody. In North America, it also recorded the biggest opening for a biographical film, passing Oppenheimer’s debut earnings.

Reports say the movie recovered more than its $200 million production cost within 48 hours of release. It is one of the most expensive biopics ever made because of major reshoots and changes to the final part of the film.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, Michael tells the story of Michael Jackson from his childhood days in the Jackson 5 to the height of his solo career in the 1980s.

The movie stars Jaafar Jackson as the adult Michael Jackson and Juliano Krue Valdi as the younger version of the singer.

Other actors in the film include Nia Long, Colman Domingo, Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, Jessica Sula, and Mike Myers.

Production started after producer Graham King secured the rights to Jackson’s life story in 2019. Filming took place from January to May 2024 after delays caused by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.

The movie later went through major changes after legal concerns led to the removal of references to the 1993 child abuse allegations against Michael Jackson. This resulted in extra filming and a rewritten final act in 2025.

Although the movie has performed strongly at the box office, critics have given mixed reviews. Many praised Jaafar Jackson’s performance, while others said the story avoided some controversial parts of Michael Jackson’s life.

The biopic premiered in Berlin on April 10, 2026, before opening in the United States on April 24. It is currently one of the six highest-grossing films of 2026.