The film’s success boosted Jackson-related charts, with four entries on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 2026 and Billie Jean hitting #17, while Thriller and Number Ones ranked in the top 10 of the Billboard 200.

The catalyst is the biopic Michael, released in April, directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan.

Lionsgate is reportedly considering a sequel to explore later chapters of Michael Jackson’s life and career.

By July 2026, the film surpassed $1 billion worldwide, marking the first biographical film to reach that milestone and the first Lionsgate release to do so.

Michael Jackson dominated Google searches in 2026, driven by renewed interest, and overall the year has reestablished him as a major figure in searches, streaming, and cultural conversations.

Jaafar Jackson stars as Michael Jackson in his feature-film debut, joined by Colman Domingo and Nia Long; Jaafar is the real-life nephew of Michael Jackson.

The film opened to $217.4 million worldwide, becoming the biggest opening weekend for a music biopic and later the highest-grossing music biopic of all time.

Billboard linked the chart resurgence to renewed streaming activity following the film’s release.