Following the official announcement that MICHAEL, has now officially surpassed Bohemian Rhapsody’s global $911 million run to become the highest-grossing music biopic in history, the film is now surging in Japan, which officially opened on June 12. According to film reporter Luiz Fernando, opening weekend has started off strong, with the film surpassing the $5 million mark on Friday and Saturday (at the time of this writing) thanks to incredible word of mouth.

These early figures suggest Japan is once again positioning itself as one of the most important international markets for the film’s global performance.

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A Familiar Pattern in Japan

Japan’s strong opening is consistent with decades of unusually durable interest in Michael Jackson’s legacy in the region. From touring history to long-standing pop culture influence, Japan has historically outperformed expectations for Jackson-related releases compared to other international markets. That pattern appears to be repeating itself with MICHAEL, which has already seen elevated demand in early screenings and advance interest across major urban theaters.

Why Japan Matters for MICHAEL’s Global Run

Positive WOM making music biopic #MICHAEL EXPLODE on SAT at #Japan’s #BoxOffice!
KING OF POP #MichaelJackson grossed INCREDIBLE est $2.5M on #10 BIGGEST First SAT Post-COVID for Hollywood (Top10 below), up STRONG +33.3% from PURE FRI (-2% from FRI+Previews), for a $5M 2-day cume,… pic.twitter.com/dFWXV0kfIP

— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) June 13, 2026

For major music biopics, Japan is often treated as a key “late-stage” market—one that can either extend a film’s momentum or confirm its long-tail success.

In this case, the strong opening night suggests:

• Sustained international demand beyond Western markets
• Strong collector and fan-driven turnout in urban centers
• Continued global cultural relevance of Michael Jackson’s catalog and legacy

Early Implications for Box Office Trajectory

If Japan’s opening momentum holds through the weekend, analysts expect the market could become one of the film’s strongest international contributors globally. This would reinforce a broader trend already seen in other territories, where MICHAEL has performed above expectations in culturally high-engagement regions.

What’s Next?

As per FlixPatrol, the movie was the #1 film on both the Apple TV store and Amazon Prime Video earlier this week. Fans can now purchase or rent Michael through major premium video-on-demand platforms, including digital storefronts such as Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home. The digital release includes purchase options as well as rental access for viewers who want to revisit the story of the King of Pop from home. 

From there, Lionsgate will follow up the streaming debut with a premium physical rollout on July 14 (according to the Blu Ray website), introducing an array of Collector’s Edition 4K UHD Steelbooks at retail giants like Walmart and Amazon.

The film is currently projected to hit the $1 billion mark.

Featured Photo: Lionsgate

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