Michael reclaims No.1 with $7 million

Jaafar Jackson’s “Michael” moved back to No. 1 at the domestic box office on Friday, May 16, with $7 million in ticket sales, according to Variety. The trade said the Lionsgate release was on course for about $25 million in its fourth weekend, enough to return the Michael Jackson biopic to the top spot after slipping behind newer titles in recent days. Box Office Mojo listed the film at $263.7 million domestic and $621.9 million worldwide as of Sunday, while The Numbers showed $602.8 million worldwide on a slightly different reporting basis. The film’s rebound added another benchmark in a run that began with a $97.2 million domestic opening weekend on April 24, according to Box Office Mojo. Variety reported that “Michael” had also passed “Bohemian Rhapsody” to become the highest-grossing music biopic in North America. ### How did “Michael” get back to No. 1? Variety said “Michael” led Friday’s chart with $7 million, narrowly ahead of the horror newcomer “Obsession,” which took in $6.89 million. (variety.com) The outlet said that Friday result put Antoine Fuqua’s film on pace for a roughly $25 million fourth weekend. Box Office Watch, which tracks daily grosses, listed “Michael” at $7.0 million for Friday, May 15, after $3.2 million on Thursday, May 14. (boxofficemojo.com) Its chart showed the film had already returned to first place on several weekdays earlier in the week, including Monday and Wednesday. ### What do the weekend numbers show so far? Box Office Mojo listed “Michael” at $263,671,827 domestic and $358,250,113 international for a worldwide total of $621,921,940. (variety.com) The site said Lionsgate distributed the film domestically, with release dates beginning April 22 overseas and April 24 in the United States. The Numbers listed the film at $263,671,827 domestic and $339,127,000 international for a worldwide total of $602,798,827. (boxofficewatch.com) The difference reflects separate reporting methods and update timing across box office trackers, but both tallies put the film above $600 million worldwide. ### Who made the film, and who stars in it? Lionsgate’s official materials identify Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson and Antoine Fuqua as director. (boxofficemojo.com) The studio’s publicity page and the film’s official site also list Nia Long, Colman Domingo, Miles Teller and Laura Harrier among the cast. IMDb’s full cast listing names Colman Domingo as Joseph Jackson and Nia Long as Katherine Jackson. (the-numbers.com) The official site says the film covers Michael Jackson’s life and career and opened in theaters on April 24, 2026. ### What record did it take from “Bohemian Rhapsody”? Variety reported that “Michael” had moved past “Bohemian Rhapsody” in North America, making it the top-grossing music biopic domestically. (lionsgatepublicity.com) Screen Rant, citing box office totals, said “Bohemian Rhapsody” finished with $216.7 million domestic, a figure now behind “Michael’s” $263.7 million North American total. (imdb.com) Worldwide, the older Queen film remains ahead. Screen Rant said “Bohemian Rhapsody” reached $903.6 million globally, leaving “Michael” still short of that mark even after crossing $600 million. ### How strong has the run been since opening weekend? Box Office Mojo said “Michael” opened to $97,206,874 domestically, and Box Office Watch listed follow-up weekends of $54.4 million and $37.9 million. (variety.com) Those holds gave the film a three-week domestic total of $241.9 million before this latest weekend began. Deadline reported during opening weekend that 6.3 million people watched the film in North America alone, citing EntTelligence data. (screenrant.com) Variety said the latest frame put the film back in front of fresh competition, including “Obsession” and “The Devil Wears Prada 2.” ### What comes next for the box office race? Sunday estimates and Monday actuals will determine the final order for the May 15-17 weekend. (boxofficemojo.com) Lionsgate’s next confirmed milestone will be the studio-reported weekend gross for “Michael,” while Box Office Mojo and The Numbers are expected to update domestic and worldwide totals as final receipts come in. (deadline.com)