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The King of Pop has officially claimed the box office crown. Michael, the highly anticipated musical film chronicling the life and career of Michael Jackson, has stormed theaters worldwide, scoring the highest-grossing opening weekend ever for a biopic.
Starring Jackson’s own nephew, Jaafar Jackson, the film has raked in a staggering $217 million (£160 million) globally since its release on Wednesday.
The massive debut shatters previous records, dethroning the Queen musical Bohemian Rhapsody, which launched with $124 million in 2018, and even surpassing Christopher Nolan’s 2024 blockbuster Oppenheimer, which held a $180 million opening. This monumental haul gives Michael the biggest worldwide opening weekend for a biopic of any kind in cinematic history.
“You don’t deliver this figure unless you’re seeing huge numbers across every conceivable demographic,” said Adam Fogelson, chairman of the film’s US distributor, Lionsgate. “Audiences are clearly having a blast.”
A Tale of Two Audiences: The Critic vs. Fan Divide
While the film is an undeniable commercial triumph, it has sparked a massive divide between critics and everyday moviegoers.
Backed financially by the late superstar’s estate and heavily featuring Jackson’s original vocals, the film has been criticized by reviewers as a “sanitized” portrayal of the complex pop star. This disconnect is starkly visible on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, where Michael holds a dismal 38% average score from critics, juxtaposed against a near-perfect 97% rating from audiences.
The NDA Discovery and $200M Reshoots
The criticism regarding the film’s sanitized nature stems directly from what was left on the cutting room floor. Michael notably omits any mention of the child sexual abuse accusations leveled against the singer in the 1990s and beyond. (Jackson, who died in 2009, always maintained his innocence and was acquitted of child molestation charges in 2005).
However, avoiding the controversy was not the filmmakers’ original plan. The film’s third act was initially slated to address the 1993 accusations made by Jordan Chandler. That footage had to be abruptly scrapped following the rediscovery of a historic non-disclosure agreement (NDA) made between Jackson and the Chandler family. The settlement included a strict clause prohibiting Jackson’s estate from ever mentioning Chandler in any movie.
This legal hurdle forced director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer) into a massive pivot.
“All movies have different challenges, but this one was unique,” Fuqua told Deadline, revealing that the NDA’s rediscovery led to a “tough period” where the team had to “rethink everything.”
To navigate the restriction, the filmmakers completely reworked the narrative, concluding the film’s timeline in 1988—years before any allegations surfaced. The resulting film now leans heavily on recreated concert performances and explores Jackson’s strained relationship with his father, Joseph Jackson, played by Oscar nominee Colman Domingo.
The extensive reshoots carried a heavy financial burden, pushing the film’s total budget to an estimated $200 million (£148 million), cementing its status as one of the most expensive biopics ever produced.
Hollywood’s Biopic Boom
The financial success of Michael proves that Hollywood’s gamble on musical biopics is still paying off. Over the last decade, the cinematic treatment has been given to music legends like Sir Elton John, Elvis Presley, Bob Marley, Amy Winehouse, and Whitney Houston, emerging as a highly reliable revenue stream for studios.
The record-breaking release is also a welcome boon for the wider cinema industry. Following a string of recent box office hits like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Project Hail Mary, theaters are experiencing a notable upward swing, with major releases like The Devil Wears Prada 2 set to keep the momentum going this weekend.
While Michael has opened in most major global markets, it still has ground to cover. The film is scheduled to launch in Japan this June, meaning the King of Pop’s box office reign is likely just beginning.
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