Two of the Biggest YA Franchises Ever Officially Beat At the Box Office by 2026 Hit No One Is Talking About

Even at only halfway through the year, 2026 is proving to be monumental for movies. The anticipation for movies releasing in 2026 was incredibly high, and so far, the year has not disappointed. Many different genres have already been well-represented in the first half of the year, with horror, drama, and comedy movies all earning major success and dominating the box office. In fact, the success of some has even seen the biggest movies of previous years be unexpectedly outshone, as was the case with an unexpectedly popular biopic. Despite Lionsgate having previously released some of the most popular young adult franchises in cinematic history, the 2026 movie Michael has outperformed them all.

In recent years, Lionsgate has overseen the release of some of the best movie franchises based on YA books, earning them record-breaking success in the process. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 both proved massive financial hits for the studio, each breaking records for their box office gross. However, the release of Michael has unexpectedly overshadowed both, now staking its claim to be Lionsgate’s highest-grossing movie to date.

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A biopic covering the first half of Michael Jackson’s music career, Michael has been one of the biggest successes of 2026 so far. With Jaafar Jackson starring as his eponymous uncle, Michael has considerable credibility in terms of its authenticity, and its impressive supporting cast only served to heighten the movie’s quality. Even so, the marketing for the movie was relatively weak, so its massive box office success is something of a surprise, especially as Michael isn’t being talked about as much as other recent releases.

One of the biggest contributors to Michael‘s success is, of course, the continued popularity of Jackson’s music. The late singer was a veritable music icon, and his legacy has undeniably strengthened the movie’s performance at the box office. Additionally, the real-world controversies surrounding Jackson only fuelled curiosity about the biopic, perhaps driving even those who wouldn’t consider themselves major fans to see the film. Even from the release of Michael‘s first trailer, there was a quiet buzz around the movie.

Of course, the success of Michael should hardly be surprising. The continued popularity of Michael Jackson, combined with the more controversial elements of his life, was always sure to draw a considerable audience. The movie’s ability to boast a soundtrack stacked with the King of Pop’s most iconic hits certainly worked in its favor, and in many ways, we all should have seen its box-office success coming. Its box office take certainly hasn’t been Bad, and considering it has now overtaken some of the biggest YA franchise movies of all time, it may well be difficult for any future releases to Beat It.

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