"Michael" Dethrones "Mario" w/ Record-Setting $97 Million Debut - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 04-27-2026, 02:48 AM

Michael Rocks Box Office with Record-Setting $97 Million Debut
by Rebecca Rubin
April 26, 2026

There’s a new box office king. Michael, a biopic from Lionsgate about the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, arrived in theaters as an instant sensation with $97 million domestically and $217 million globally in its first weekend of release.

Michael also notched the second-biggest debut of the year behind April’s sequel The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($131 million).

The movie is rocking the box office despite the mostly terrible reviews (only 38% of which were positive on Rotten Tomatoes).

Audiences, however, strongly disagreed with the majority of critics and embraced Michael with an “A-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls.

Reigning champ The Super Mario Galaxy Movie slid to second place after three weekends in the No. 1 spot.

Universal’s animated sequel about the beloved Nintendo characters has added $21.2 million from 3,732 theaters, boosting revenues to $384 million domestically and more than $800 million globally.

Project Hail Mary was No. 3 with $13.2 million from 3,510 locations, a remarkable tally for a film in its sixth weekend of release.

So far, the space epic, starring Ryan Gosling, has generated a mighty $305 million in North America and $613 million worldwide.

A24’s thriller Mother Mary, starring Anne Hathaway as a pop star on the eve of a comeback, earned $1.3 million while expanding to 1,103 theaters.

After playing on five screens last weekend, “Mother Mary” has generated a so-so $1.4 million to date.

Lorne, a documentary about small-screen icon Lorne Michaels, struggled to break out with $70,000 from 248 theaters.

The film, directed by Morgan Neville and distributed by Focus Features, has collected $426,000 while playing in limited release.

https://variety.com/2026/film/box-of...rd-1236730805/

April 24-26, 2026: Weekend Studio Estimates

1. Michael $97,000,000
2. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie $21,200,000 / $386,493,150
3. Project Hail Mary $13,208,000 / $305,431,522
4. Lee Cronin's The Mummy $5,630,000 / $23,451,688
5. The Drama $2,648,086 / $44,803,603
6. Hoppers $1,900,000 / $164,156,679
7. You, Me & Tuscany $1,500,000 / $17,631,980
8. Over Your Dead Body $1,425,000
9. Mother Mary $1,253,486 / $1,486,034
10. American Youngboy $1,194,000

04-27-2026, 02:48 AM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 56,951	"Michael" Dethrones "Mario" w/ Record-Setting $97 Million Debut Michael Rocks Box Office with Record-Setting $97 Million Debut by Rebecca Rubin April 26, 2026 There’s a new box office king. Michael, a biopic from Lionsgate about the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, arrived in theaters as an instant sensation with $97 million domestically and $217 million globally in its first weekend of release. Michael also notched the second-biggest debut of the year behind April’s sequel The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ($131 million). The movie is rocking the box office despite the mostly terrible reviews (only 38% of which were positive on Rotten Tomatoes). Audiences, however, strongly disagreed with the majority of critics and embraced Michael with an “A-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls. Reigning champ The Super Mario Galaxy Movie slid to second place after three weekends in the No. 1 spot. Universal’s animated sequel about the beloved Nintendo characters has added $21.2 million from 3,732 theaters, boosting revenues to $384 million domestically and more than $800 million globally. Project Hail Mary was No. 3 with $13.2 million from 3,510 locations, a remarkable tally for a film in its sixth weekend of release. So far, the space epic, starring Ryan Gosling, has generated a mighty $305 million in North America and $613 million worldwide. A24’s thriller Mother Mary, starring Anne Hathaway as a pop star on the eve of a comeback, earned $1.3 million while expanding to 1,103 theaters. After playing on five screens last weekend, “Mother Mary” has generated a so-so $1.4 million to date. Lorne, a documentary about small-screen icon Lorne Michaels, struggled to break out with $70,000 from 248 theaters. The film, directed by Morgan Neville and distributed by Focus Features, has collected $426,000 while playing in limited release. https://variety.com/2026/film/box-of...rd-1236730805/ April 24-26, 2026: Weekend Studio Estimates 1. Michael $97,000,000 2. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie $21,200,000 / $386,493,150 3. Project Hail Mary $13,208,000 / $305,431,522 4. Lee Cronin's The Mummy $5,630,000 / $23,451,688 5. The Drama $2,648,086 / $44,803,603 6. Hoppers $1,900,000 / $164,156,679 7. You, Me & Tuscany $1,500,000 / $17,631,980 8. Over Your Dead Body $1,425,000 9. Mother Mary $1,253,486 / $1,486,034 10. American Youngboy $1,194,000