The Michael Jackson biopic Michael has surpassed N800 million at the Nigerian box office, cementing its place among the country’s highest-grossing films despite not being screened by Filmhouse Group, Nigeria’s largest cinema chain.
According to the latest figures from the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN), the film earned N11.98 million during the week of June 26 to July 2, taking its cumulative box office revenue to N790.96 million. Industry data shows the film has since crossed the N800 million milestone.
The achievement is considered remarkable because the film was released without the support of Filmhouse Cinemas, one of West Africa’s largest cinema exhibitors by screen count.
Industry analysts believe that with a full nationwide rollout across all major cinema chains, Michael could have grossed between N950 million and N1 billion in Nigeria.
According to industry sources: “Michael crossed the N800 million mark today. Once again, this milestone was achieved without one of Nigeria’s largest cinema exhibitor chains. Had all parties been involved, the film would likely be on course for N950 million to N1 billion.”
The film generated its latest earnings from 29 cinema locations, with 13 cinemas contributing to its weekend performance.
Between Friday and Sunday, it earned N7.71 million, led by N2.92 million on Saturday, N2.53 million on Friday and N2.27 million on Sunday.
The latest milestone extends the film’s impressive box office run since its Nigerian debut in April.
The biopic opened with N111.6 million and earned N123.2 million within its first three days in cinemas, demonstrating strong audience demand despite its limited exhibition footprint.
Its success in Nigeria reflects an equally impressive global performance.
According to Box Office Mojo, Michael had generated approximately $991.4 million worldwide as of July 6, 2026. The total includes $371.2 million from North America and $620.1 million from international markets.
The film has become the highest-grossing music biopic in history, surpassing Bohemian Rhapsody. It has also overtaken Oppenheimer to become the highest-grossing biographical film of all time, while emerging as the biggest theatrical release in the history of Lionsgate.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Michael chronicles the life and career of the late pop icon Michael Jackson. The film stars Jaafar Jackson as the King of Pop and features Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller and Laura Harrier in supporting roles.
