Michael Jackson Biopic Reclaims Box Office Crown as Global Revenue Surpasses $600 Million
Los Angeles, Sunday, 17 May 2026.
In a rare fourth-weekend surge, the Michael Jackson biopic regained the number one box office spot, surpassing an impressive $600 million globally and proving sustained consumer demand.
A Moonwalking Financial Juggernaut
During the weekend of May 15 to May 17, 2026, Lionsgate’s Michael demonstrated remarkable holding power, reclaiming the domestic top spot with an estimated $27 million from 3,560 theaters [1][3][6]. This represents a modest decline of 28 to 29 percent from the previous weekend [3][5]. The Antoine Fuqua-directed feature’s domestic total is projected to hit $283.6 million by Sunday, edging past the final North American earnings of Lionsgate’s own The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 at $281.7 million [3]. Furthermore, the film is currently pacing 7 percent ahead of the 2023 blockbuster Oppenheimer at the same point in its theatrical run [3].
High Fashion and Horror Deliver Strong Returns
Maintaining a formidable presence in the runner-up position, The Devil Wears Prada 2 continues to yield exceptional returns for the box office [GPT]. The fashion-centric sequel generated an estimated $20 million across 3,830 theaters in its third weekend, reflecting a 52 percent decline [3][5]. With a reported production budget of $100 million [2], the comedy has proven to be a highly profitable asset. It crossed the $500 million threshold globally on Friday, May 14, 2026 [alert! ‘Source 1 explicitly states Friday, May 14, 2026, though May 14 is actually a Thursday’] [1], and is expected to reach a cumulative domestic gross of nearly $178 million by the close of the May 17 weekend [1][3].
Steep Declines and Expanding Franchises
Conversely, Mortal Kombat II experienced a steep commercial contraction. After opening to $38 million on May 9, 2026 [1], the Warner Bros. and New Line fantasy sequel suffered a sharp 67 percent drop in its second weekend, taking in an estimated $12.7 million to $13 million [3][4][5]. This brings its 10-day domestic total to roughly $61.5 million to $61.8 million [3][5]. Despite this precipitous decline, the intellectual property remains a priority for the studio, which had already greenlit a third installment months prior to the sequel’s premiere [2]. Rounding out the top five, Amazon MGM’s mystery comedy The Sheep Detectives earned an estimated $9.8 million to $10 million in its second weekend, bringing its domestic cumulative to approximately $30 million [3][5].