Lionsgate’s Michael. The 2026 biopic about pop icon Michael Jackson, has opened to a staggering $95M in North America and $206.4M worldwide, the best opening of the year for a live-action film, according to Deadline. This eclipses other biopics like Straight Outta Compton ($60.2M) and marks the biggest debut for director Antoine Fuqua and producer Graham King; the film is already proving to be a box office success, and Lionsgate is considering a sequel if the full cut exceeds three hours.

A Controversial Omission

Despite its financial success. The film has drawn sharp criticism for its omission of Jackson’s most controversial periods, including the 2005 child abuse allegations and his death in 2009, according to 20Minutos and Musikexpress. The movie focuses only on the period from Jackson’s early career as a child star in The Jackson 5 to the success of his 1987 album Bad. The film avoids the 1993 incident at Neverland Ranch, which was the beginning of his public downfall, due to legal clauses in a 1994 settlement with the family of the accuser.

German outlet NDR.de notes that while the film portrays Jackson’s early life and the pressures of fame under his father’s strict rule, it avoids addressing the legal and ethical controversies that defined much of his later life. The film’s focus on Jackson’s musical genius and his relationship with his father is seen by some as a sanitized version of his life.

Production Struggles and Costs

The film’s production was not without hurdles — According to Mix Vale, the original cut of the film exceeded three hours, leading to extensive reshoots and additional costs totaling around $7.5 million. These reshoots were necessary to condense the narrative to meet the demands of commercial cinema. The film’s star. Jaafar Jackson — Michael Jackson’s nephew, trained intensively for months to embody his famous relative, studying every dance move, vocal nuance, and stage presence.

Despite the high production values and box office performance, the film has received mixed reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes. It has a score of just 35 percent, with critics calling it a “feel-good tribute” and a “hagiography” that whitewashes Jackson’s image, according to Musikexpress. The film’s omission of the controversies has led to accusations that it is more of a promotional tool for the Jackson estate than a balanced biopic.

A Box Office Blockbuster with Mixed Reactions

While Michael is currently the most expensive and controversial biopic ever made, it has also set a new benchmark for box office success in the genre, according to 20Minutos. The film’s opening weekend was the best for Lionsgate since 2015 and far exceeded the studio’s post-pandemic results. However, the controversy surrounding the film’s narrative choices has sparked a debate about how pop icons should be portrayed in the public eye, especially when legal and ethical questions remain unresolved.