- Movie Title: Michael (Michael Jackson Biographical Film)
- Distributor: Lionsgate / Universal Pictures International
- Market Update: China Theatrical Window Extension
- Box Office Context: Released globally in April 2026, the film is wrapping up its second highly successful month in theaters.
Lionsgate and Universal Pictures International have secured another major international victory as Chinese film regulators officially approved a theatrical window extension for MICHAEL, first confirmed by journalist Keen Zhang. According to Zhang, the biographical drama, which hit global theaters back in April, has been approved to remain in cinemas through July 23. This rare extension from mainland regulators underscores the King of Pop’s enduring global appeal and the movie’s incredible staying power at the box office. While foreign releases in China are typically restricted to a strict 30-day theatrical window before being pushed to streaming, MICHAEL has shown incredible box office longevity, thanks to steady ticket sales and intense fan engagement through May and into June.
As such, local theaters are adjusting their schedules to keep the movie on screens.
Securing an extended stay in Chinese theaters gives MICHAEL a huge financial runway to pad its already impressive global box office numbers. This performance also echoes the success of the 2009 documentary This Is It, which was released in the aftermath of Jackson’s passing. By keeping the biopic in premium large formats like IMAX for a few more weeks, the studio is capitalizing on a market that has officially embraced the film as one of the biggest cinematic events of 2026.
Additionally, this past week, the film officially bypassed The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, which held a historic lifetime gross of $945.6 million, and also edged past The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and its formidable $959.1 million benchmark, fundamentally altering the layout of the upper tier of Hollywood’s all-time chart earners.
What’s Next?
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.
MICHAEL is now confirmed to be hitting the $1 billion mark.
Featured Photo: Lionsgate
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