Level 1 — Absolute Beginner
A new movie about singer Michael Jackson is a huge hit. It is called 'Michael.'
The movie has now made more than one billion dollars around the world. No biopic movie has ever made this much money before.
A young actor named Jaafar Jackson plays Michael Jackson in the film. Jaafar is actually Michael Jackson's real nephew.
'Michael' made $629.8 million outside the United States and $371.8 million inside the United States. Together, that is more than $1 billion.
- movie
- a story shown on a screen with moving pictures
- biopic
- a movie that tells the true story of a real person's life
- actor
- a person who plays a character in a movie or play
- nephew
- the son of someone's brother or sister
- billion
- the number 1,000,000,000
- hit
- something, like a movie or song, that is very popular and successful
- outside
- not inside a particular place, such as a country
- together
- combined or added as one amount
Level 2 — Elementary
The new Michael Jackson biopic 'Michael' has become the first biopic in movie history to cross $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
The film stars Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson's real nephew, in the lead role, marking his big-screen debut as the late pop star.
'Michael' earned $629.8 million from international markets and $371.8 million domestically in the United States, bringing its combined global total to just over $1 billion.
The milestone makes 'Michael' the highest-grossing musical biopic ever, surpassing 2018's 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' which earned $911 million worldwide, and it is also Lionsgate's very first film to reach the billion-dollar mark.
- worldwide
- happening or existing in all parts of the world
- lead role
- the main character an actor plays in a film
- debut
- a first public appearance or performance
- international
- involving more than one country
- domestic
- relating to one's own country, as opposed to abroad
- combined
- added together to form a total
- milestone
- an important event that marks a stage of progress
- surpass
- to go beyond or do better than something else
Level 3 — Intermediate
'Michael,' the long-awaited biopic chronicling the life of pop icon Michael Jackson, has become the first film of its kind to surpass $1 billion at the global box office, a threshold no biopic had previously reached.
The film stars Jaafar Jackson, the late singer's real-life nephew, in a casting choice that generated considerable anticipation and marks his debut in a leading film role.
Since opening in April, 'Michael' has accumulated $629.8 million in international revenue alongside $371.8 million domestically, pushing its combined worldwide total just past the billion-dollar threshold.
The achievement establishes 'Michael' as the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time, eclipsing 2018's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and its $911 million haul, while also delivering Lionsgate its first billion-dollar release and making 'Michael' only the second film in 2026, after Universal's 'Super Mario Galaxy,' to cross that mark.
- chronicle
- to record or tell the events of something, especially over time
- icon
- a person or thing widely admired as a symbol of something
- threshold
- a level or point that must be reached before something happens
- anticipation
- excitement or expectation about something that is going to happen
- accumulate
- to gradually gather or build up over time
- casting
- the process of selecting actors for roles in a film or play
- eclipse
- to surpass or outshine something in importance or achievement
- haul
- an amount of money or goods gained, especially through effort
Level 4 — Advanced
'Michael,' the long-gestating biopic chronicling the life of pop icon Michael Jackson, has become the first film in the genre to surpass $1 billion at the global box office, a threshold that had eluded every prior biopic in cinema history.
Casting Jaafar Jackson, the late singer's real-life nephew, in the title role proved a shrewd narrative and marketing device, generating considerable anticipatory buzz and marking his debut in a leading cinematic capacity.
Since its April release, the film has accumulated $629.8 million in international box-office receipts alongside $371.8 million domestically, propelling its aggregate worldwide tally just beyond the billion-dollar threshold.
The milestone crowns 'Michael' the highest-grossing musical biopic ever produced, eclipsing the $911 million haul of 2018's 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' while simultaneously delivering Lionsgate its inaugural billion-dollar release and rendering 'Michael' only the second title in 2026, following Universal's 'Super Mario Galaxy,' to clear that benchmark.
- gestating
- developing or being prepared over a long period of time
- shrewd
- showing sharp judgment, especially in practical matters
- buzz
- excited talk or attention surrounding something, especially in media or public conversation
- receipts
- money received from sales or business activity
- aggregate
- a total formed by combining several separate amounts
- tally
- a running count or total of something
- crown
- to give someone or something the highest position or honor in its category
- inaugural
- marking the first in a series; the very first of its kind
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