Michael Jackson spent his life surrounded by people who wanted something from him.
Money. Fame. Access. Control.
Some wanted a hit record. Some wanted a check. Some wanted ownership of the man himself.
But according to the people behind the blockbuster Lionsgate biopic “Michael,” only a tiny circle ever truly protected him.
And that, more than the sequins, moonwalks and sold-out theaters turning into emotional revivals, may explain why audiences around the globe are responding as though they have been waiting decades to finally see Jackson tell his story on his own terms.
“It’s not just another music film,” longtime Jackson attorney and estate co-executor John Branca told The Informer in an exclusive interview. “The first time this story could be told. Not everyone else’s story, whether real or made up. Michael’s story.”
That story is now rewriting box-office history.
With worldwide grosses approaching $960 million, “Michael” has become the highest-grossing music biopic and biographical film ever released. The movie sits at No. 2 on the worldwide box-office chart for 2026 and appears headed toward the $1 billion mark.
Its momentum continues to be fueled by strong international audiences. The film recently became the first release this year to surpass $20 million in Russia, held remarkably well in Japan after opening weekend and remains one of the top-performing films of the year in Brazil.
“After the opening weekend, seeing the reaction around the world, on social media, at the box office, we realized this was going to be something very special, something we haven’t seen before,” Branca said.
The veteran entertainment lawyer, who first met Jackson in 1980 when Michael was 21 and Branca was 29, said the film succeeds because it captures something often lost beneath decades of headlines and controversy.
“I want to be real about this because Michael fired me several times and always brought me back,” Branca said. “Trust wasn’t always easy for Michael.”
Branca explained their relationship was tested repeatedly as Jackson navigated extraordinary fame and the constant influence of people seeking access to him.
“We had a wonderful relationship in the ’80s and a little more challenging when time went on because there were so many people in his ear,” Branca said. “So, I don’t want to make it seem like Michael always trusted me and it wasn’t always champagne and roses.”
Still, Branca said Jackson ultimately showed where his trust rested.
“In the end he chose to keep John McClain and I in the will as executors and that said a lot to me,” Branca said. “We always fought for Michael.”
When Jackson died in 2009, Branca said there was little time to grieve.
“We just started running as soon as he passed to save the assets to perpetuate his legacy,” Branca said.
That work became the foundation for a long-term strategy that eventually led to the Broadway production “MJ” and, ultimately, the film now drawing audiences worldwide.
“When you go back to 2009, we always had a game plan of what we wanted to accomplish and in what order we wanted to accomplish,” Branca said. “Start with ‘This Is It,’ to remind people what a phenomenal entertainer Michael was. The documentaries with Spike Lee to show the genius at work. We wanted to do the Broadway play first because we felt we’d have a little more control over the Broadway play, and ultimately the movie.”
Branca also revealed that the possibility of a sequel has been part of the vision from the beginning.
“It was always our hope to have the first biopic with a sequel,” he said.
Though no sequel has been announced, those close to the production acknowledge there is substantial interest in exploring later chapters of Jackson’s life, including the “Dangerous” era, the Super Bowl halftime performance and other periods not covered in the current film.
“But there is clearly more story to be told,” a studio source told The Informer.
For Branca, however, the heart of the movie is not fame or record sales. It is the people who remained loyal to Jackson when others did not.
Among them was Bill Bray, Jackson’s longtime security chief and confidant.
“I can’t emphasize how important Bill Bray was,” Branca said. “Bill was a second father to Michael.”
Branca said Jackson once wrote Bray a note that read, “Bill, you’re like my father.”
“That was such an important relationship, and it’s portrayed so very well in the movie,” Branca said.
The film also examines Jackson’s complicated relationship with his father, Joe Jackson.
Branca recalled one of the first assignments Jackson ever gave him.
“One of the first things I did in the first several months, he said, ‘I want you to go meet with my father and tell me what he says,’” Branca recalled.
The meeting quickly became tense.
“Joe said, ‘You gonna listen to what I tell you,’” Branca said. “And I said, ‘Joe no, I’m sorry. Michael is my client.’”
Another key figure in the film is former CBS Records executive Walter Yetnikoff.
“Walter Yetnikoff was a champion for Michael,” Branca told The Informer.
According to Branca, Yetnikoff fought aggressively to secure exposure for Jackson’s videos during a period when Black artists often struggled to receive meaningful airtime on MTV.
“To push MTV to play Michael’s videos was a major thing because Michael went on to become the number one video artist on MTV,” Branca said.
He also credited Yetnikoff with helping Jackson gain ownership of his master recordings and videos in 1983.
“That was rare,” Branca said. “A rare executive that would give an artist his master recordings and ask for nothing in return.”
Bringing ‘Michael’ to the ‘Massive Audience it Deserves‘
Inside Lionsgate, executives said they recognized early that they had something much larger than a traditional music biopic.
“Michael Jackson was one of the greatest recording artists of all time, a leading cultural icon in music, dance, fashion and philanthropy whose story is compelling for moviegoers worldwide,” Peter Wilkes of Lionsgate told The Informer. “With award-winning producer Graham King, renowned director Antoine Fuqua, an amazing cast led by the breakout performance of Jaafar Jackson, our international partners at Universal and Kino Films, and our collaboration with Branca and the Michael Jackson Estate, we have been able to bring this story to the massive audience it deserves.”
Those expectations have now been exceeded.
The film surpassed “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018) to become the highest-grossing music biopic ever released and continues to attract audiences across Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe, where Jackson’s popularity has endured across generations.
The contrast between critics and audiences has become one of the year’s most notable entertainment stories.
Many reviewers dismissed the film. Moviegoers turned it into the most successful music biopic ever released.
“One of the biggest pleasures,” Branca said, laughing, “Rotten Tomatoes … how the hell these people have jobs.”
“Graham King, Antoine Fuqua, John Logan, Jaafar Jackson, Miles Teller, Coleman Domingo, Nia Long, KeiLyn Durrel Jones and the entire cast and crew did an incredible job. It’s not just another music film,” he said. “This is the first time this story could be told. Not everyone else’s story, whether real or made up. Michael’s story.”
Privately, people close to the production said the divide became apparent almost immediately.
“The movie delivered great storytelling, exhilarating music and dance, powerful acting performances and compelling insights into Michael Jackson’s early career,” one source familiar with the production said. “We just didn’t make the movie that most critics wanted to see. But the audiences have spoken.”
For Branca, the accomplishment goes beyond ticket sales.
“Everybody loves box office, we do too,” he told The Informer. “But the bigger victory was to tell Michael’s story and watch how it connects with the world emotionally and otherwise.”
Then he paused.
“People have rallied around Michael,” Branca said softly. “And it’s wonderful to see.”
