The cast and filmmakers of “Michael” will receive the Gotham Musical Tribute at the 36th Annual Gotham Film Awards on Nov. 30 in New York, the Gotham Film & Media Institute announced Oct. 16. The Lionsgate film has grossed $1.029 billion worldwide, according to the institute.
What the Gotham Announcement Says
The tribute will be presented Monday, Nov. 30, at Cipriani Wall Street. The institute lists the film as directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan. Jaafar Jackson plays Michael Jackson. The cast also includes Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Juliano Krue Valdi, Miles Teller and Colman Domingo. Graham King, John Branca and the late John McClain are the producers.
The institute’s executive director, Jeffrey Sharp, said in the release the tribute honors the actors and filmmakers for bringing Jackson’s life and music to the screen. He called the work “extraordinary” and said it captures the humanity behind one of the world’s most celebrated artists.
This is the second Gotham Musical Tribute. The first went to “Song Sung Blue” last year, the institute said. Other honors this year go to LAIKA for the Anniversary Tribute, Danny Boyle for the Director Tribute for “Ink” and “La Bola Negra” for the Vanguard Tribute. Nominees for the Gotham Film Awards will be announced Oct. 27, the release says.
The Release Timeline
The institute’s release gives the film’s path. It premiered April 10 at the Uber Eats Music Hall in Berlin. Universal Pictures released it in the United Kingdom on April 22. Lionsgate released it in the United States on April 24. By the institute’s account, it is the highest-grossing biographical film of all time, the first to reach $1 billion, the highest-grossing Lionsgate film and the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2026. The institute also said a sequel is in development.
A state record points to the sequel. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office listed “Michael 2 (working title) from Lionsgate” among 35 films awarded state tax credits Oct. 7. The release gives no budget, filming schedule or credit amount for that project.
What Lionsgate Reported
Lionsgate’s own quarterly report ties the film to its finances. In its first-quarter fiscal 2027 results, released Aug. 6 for the quarter ended June 30, the company called “Michael” the highest-grossing biopic of all time, with a billion-dollar worldwide box office. The release credits recent theatrical releases, including “Michael,” and the strong ancillary performance of “The Housemaid” for the Motion Picture segment’s results.
The release does not break out revenue or profit for “Michael.” It reports segment totals. Motion Picture revenue was $587.3 million, up from $267.3 million a year earlier. Segment profit was $105.0 million, up from $2.4 million, which Lionsgate described as a first-quarter record. Chief Executive Jon Feltheimer said in the release, “another quarter of strong financial results”, and said the company was positioned for strong growth in fiscal 2027.
What the Numbers Show
The following figures are Onsite! calculations from the Lionsgate release. Motion Picture revenue rose $320.0 million, or about 120%. Segment profit rose by about $102.6 million, to roughly 44 times the year-earlier figure. Profit was about 17.9% of segment revenue, compared with about 0.9% a year earlier.
Total company revenue was $776.6 million, up from $525.9 million, an increase of $250.7 million. The Motion Picture increase of $320.0 million is larger than that total. The difference is explained by the Television Production segment, whose revenue fell to $189.3 million from $288.5 million, a decline of $99.2 million that Lionsgate attributed to the timing of episodic deliveries. The company said it expects to double scripted deliveries in fiscal 2027 compared with fiscal 2026.
The release reports operating income of $25.6 million against an operating loss of $10.6 million a year earlier. It reports a net loss from continuing operations attributable to shareholders of $28.8 million, or 10 cents a share, narrower than a loss of $94.0 million the year before. Adjusted free cash flow was $128.9 million, compared with negative $111.9 million.
The quarter ended June 30, so it captures theatrical receipts and early ancillary revenue only through that date. Lionsgate’s release does not say how much of the film’s $1.029 billion gross had come in by June 30, and it gives no figure for what Lionsgate keeps after theater owners and distribution partners take their share. The Gotham institute says Universal released the film in the United Kingdom, and the Lionsgate release does not describe how that release is accounted for.
What Comes Next for the Film
The Gotham tribute adds to a record that now runs through box office, a corporate earnings report and an awards-season event. Nominees for the Gotham Film Awards, announced Oct. 27, will show whether the film appears in any competitive category as well as the tribute. The Gotham release says a sequel is in development and gives no date, and the state tax credit listing identifies the project only by a working title.
