Michael Jackson has officially beaten Freddie Mercury, not on the charts but at the box office. Michael, the late pop star’s official biopic, has become the highest-grossing music biopic of all time, overtaking Bohemian Rhapsody.
(Glen Wilson/Lionsgate via AP)
Michael beats Bohemian Rhapsody
According to reports, Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua, has grossed over $911 million worldwide since its theatrical release on April 24. On Friday, it surpassed Bohemian Rhapsody’s global lifetime haul. The Freddie Mercury biopic had earned $910.9 million worldwide. Interestingly, both Michael and Bohemian Rhapsody were produced by Graham King.
The film had earlier overtaken the 2022 Elvis Presley biopic, Elvis. It is now headed to the billion-dollar mark, with trade experts predicting it should cross that before shutting shop later this month. If it does so, Michael will be the first biopic in the billion-dollar club.
Hot on the heels of Oppenheimer
Now, Michael is aiming to become the highest-grossing biopic of all time. That record currently rests with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which tells the story of the famed nuclear scientist J Oppenheimer, often called the father of the atomic bomb. The acclaimed film starring Cillian Murphy grossed $975 million worldwide upon its 2023 release.
This year, only one film has crossed the $1-billion mark at the global box office. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which currently leads the worldwide box office rankings for 2026, breached the mark last week.
All about Michael
Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, Michael chronicles the life and career of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The project was developed with the support of several members of Jackson’s family years after his death in 2009 at the age of 50.
The film stars Jaafar Jackson, the son of Michael Jackson’s brother Jermaine Jackson, in the title role. Juliano Krue Valdi portrays a young Michael Jackson.
The supporting cast includes Colman Domingo as family patriarch Joe Jackson, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, Miles Teller as lawyer and manager John Branca, Laura Harrier as music executive Suzanne de Passe and Mike Myers as CBS Records executive Walter Yetnikoff.
The film received divisive reviews upon release, with many critics praising Jaafar’s performance and the music, while others criticised the film for ‘whitewashing’ the late pop icon. The chief complaint was that the film does not address the sexual abuse allegations against him.