• Russian Release Date: May 28, 2026 
• Global Release Date: April 24, 2026
• Russian Distributor: Local Independent Strategic Licensee (via Lionsgate)

The global phenomenon of Michael continues to dominate.

Next up, Russia, make its official theatrical debut across Russia tomorrow, Thursday, May 28, 2026. As the film prepares to take over thousands of screens tomorrow morning, here is your definitive industry breakdown of the delayed rollout, the box office stakes (in our true, honest opinion) and why the timing was highly calculated.

Here’s what you need to know.

RELATED: Lionsgate Gives a Production Update on ‘Michael 2’

The Numbers

Globally, the film is on an absolute tear. Fueled by a towering lead performance by Michael’s real-life nephew, Jaafar Jackson, and supported by powerhouse turns from Colman Domingo (Joe Jackson) and Nia Long (Katherine Jackson). Pulling Russia into the official column acts as a massive financial injection that box office analysts predict will comfortably push Michael past the $1 billion milestone, cementing it as the highest-grossing musical biographical film in cinematic history.

The Premiere

The wide release follows a highly calculated, upscale Moscow rollout that began with an exclusive red-carpet preview event on Friday, May 22, 2026. The private, curated screening assembled local cultural tastemakers, style architects and prominent entertainment industry figures to experience the biopic within a heavily stylized installation space.

The Synopsis

Michael tracks the meteoric rise of Michael Jackson from the early days of the Jackson 5 to the peak of the Thriller and Bad eras. With a reported $155 million production budget (some report this as being $200 million), the film had high expectations to meet. The film has not only met them but is now being predicted by many to clear the $1 billion mark.

Featured Photo: Lionsgate

RELATED: MICHAEL: The Greatest Musical Biopic of All Time (No Spoilers)

Author Bio

Jael Rucker is the founder of Decked Out Magazine. She has previously worked as the Associate Commerce Editor at PureWow, focusing on analytics and trends to pitch stories and optimize articles that build and engage their audience. Her work has also been seen in Footwear News and WWD. Prior to 2024, she was the style and pop culture editor at ONE37pm for over three years, contributing numerous product reviews, brand profiles and fashion trend reports, which included interviewing Steph Curry, Snoop Dogg and more.