Posted in: Box Office, Movies | Tagged: Michael, Project Hail Mary, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Weekend Box Office

Michael Moonwalks To Victory At The Weekend Box Office

Michael dominated and took the box office crown this past weekend, reviews be damned. It made over $200 million worldwide.

Published Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:17:10 -0500

by Jeremy Konrad

Comments

Article Summary

Michael stormed to the No. 1 box office debut with $97 million domestic and a massive $217.4 million worldwide start.
Michael set a new musical biopic opening record and scored the biggest live-action debut of 2026 despite weak reviews.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie fell to second as Michael led a top five that kept the 2026 box office up 17% year over year.
With an A CinemaScore and strong audience turnout, Michael now faces its next big test: how well it holds in week two.

Michael, as expected, totally dominated the box office this weekend, sending Mario and Luigi packing from the top of the chart after almost a month. The biopic exceeded expectations, grossing $97 million. That is a record by a wide margin for a musical biopic. It is also the highest opening for a live-action film in 2026 so far. Worldwide, it added on $120.4 million, bringing its opening total to $217.4 million, higher than Lionsgate could have ever hoped for. While reviews were terrible, audiences did not care at all, showing up in droves and giving it an overall CinemaScore of "A". Now the question is its staying power. Movies like this are usually frontloaded, but this one seems like it will hold up nicely heading into the beginning of the summer box office season.

Jaafar Jackson portrays Michael Jackson in a blue military-style jacket with a red accent, surrounded by a crowd. The scene captures the intensity of a moment with hands reaching out, conveying a sense of excitement. — Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson and KeiLyn Durrel Jones as Bill Bray in Michael. Photo Credit: Glen Wilson/Lionsgate © 2026 Lionsgate

Michael Takes Over The World

Second place went to The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which made another $21.2 million. The film is now at $834 million worldwide. Project Hail Mary slips to third, with $13.2 million. It has now passed the $600 million mark worldwide. Lee Cronin's The Mummy fell 59% down to $5.5 millon. Rounding out the top five was The Drama, tacking on $2.6 million. It has made an impressive $81 million worldwide. After this weekend, the 2026 box office sits at $2.6 billion, up 17% from this point last year.

The weekend box office top five for April 24:

Michael- $97 million
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie- $21.2 million
Project Hail Mary- $13.2 million
Lee Cronin's The Mummy- $5.5 million
The Drama- $2.6 million

This Friday, we kick off the Summer Movie Box Office with the opening of The Devil Wears Prada 2. Some people think it starts Memorial Day weekend, but they are wrong. I think that will hit $70 million and take the top spot from Michael, but it will be closer than many thought. Between those two films and Mario and Hail Mary still in theaters, the hot streak will continue in theaters for sure. Be on the lookout for our Summer Movie Preview later on this week.