Antoine Fuqua's Michael Jackson biopic Michael reclaimed the No. 1 spot at the box office, earning $26.3 million in its fourth weekend, outpacing The Devil Wears Prada 2 and leading both North American and global charts after returning to Imax and other premium screens.
Box Office Performance
Michael, produced by Lionsgate and Graham King, is the second film of 2026 to surpass $700 million in worldwide ticket sales, following The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. It concluded the weekend with a domestic total of $242.8 million and $703.9 million globally.
The film overtook the lifetime earnings of Bohemian Rhapsody, becoming the highest-grossing music biopic in North America. Lionsgate partnered with Universal for international distribution, accumulating $421.1 million overseas through Sunday.
Competing Releases
Meanwhile, Mortal Kombat II struggled, dropping 67% in its second weekend to $13.4 million, for a 10-day North American total of $62.2 million. This decline places it fourth behind the horror film Obsession, which debuted with $16.1 million, exceeding expectations.
Directed by Curry Barker and featuring Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette, Obsession earned critical acclaim, holding a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Focus Features and Blumhouse distributed the film, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.
Other Releases
The Devil Wears Prada 2, directed by David Frankel, captured $18 million domestically, bringing its global earnings to $175.9 million. While not remastered for Imax, it remains the top-grossing female-led film since Barbie.
Amazon MGM's family film The Sheep Detectives rounded out the top five, with $9 million in its second weekend, totaling over $29 million domestically.
Premium Screen Impact
Imax contributed $5.2 million to Michael's weekend earnings, with a total of $60 million globally from Imax showings. CEO Rich Gelfond emphasized the brand's significance despite competing premium large formats.
Disney plans a certification program to clarify premium formats for consumers, launching with Avengers: Endgame. The upcoming Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu will dominate Imax and premium screens upon release.
Other notable performances include In the Grey with Henry Cavill, grossing $3 million, and Amazon MGM's Is God Is, earning $2.2 million. Both received positive reviews from critics and audiences.
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/michael-returns-no-1-box-office-obsession-win-1236597618/
