The new Michael Jackson musical biopic Michael has stormed the global box office, setting a new record for the biggest opening weekend ever for a biopic.
Starring Jaafar Jackson, the late pop icon’s nephew, in the title role, the film has grossed an estimated $217 million (£160 million) worldwide since its release on Wednesday. The performance surpasses previous record holders including Bohemian Rhapsody and even outpaces 2024’s Oppenheimer in opening-weekend biopic earnings.
Industry executives have described the debut as exceptionally strong across diverse audience groups, signaling broad international appeal.
However, audience and critic reactions have sharply diverged. While viewers have given the film overwhelmingly positive ratings, critics have been far more reserved, pointing to concerns that the story presents a softened or overly polished version of Jackson’s life.
The film, produced with support from Michael Jackson’s estate and featuring his original vocals in musical sequences, focuses heavily on his rise to global superstardom, major concert performances, and his complicated relationship with his father, Joseph Jackson, played by Colman Domingo.
Notably, the film avoids addressing the child sexual abuse allegations that were made against Jackson during his lifetime. Jackson, who was acquitted in 2005, always denied the accusations. Filmmakers initially planned to include references to parts of that history, but later removed them after legal complications tied to a past settlement agreement linked to one of the accusers.
Director Antoine Fuqua explained that this development forced a major restructuring of the project, including reshoots and a revised storyline that now ends in the late 1980s, before the allegations emerged.
These changes contributed to the film’s reported production cost of around $200 million, placing it among the most expensive biopics ever made.
Despite the controversy, Michael has joined a growing wave of successful musical biopics that continue to perform strongly at the global box office, following films about figures such as Freddie Mercury, Elton John, and Elvis Presley.
The film is yet to be released in some markets, including Japan, where it is scheduled to open in June.
