‘Michael’ Aims to Become the Highest-Grossing Biopic of All Time
When the film about the King of Pop hit theaters in April, few anticipated it would still be breaking records nearly seven weeks later. The Michael Jackson biopic ‘Michael’ has established one of the most remarkable theatrical runs in recent memory, and the numbers are becoming increasingly hard to overlook.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua and featuring Jaafar Jackson as his real-life uncle, the film premiered on April 24 with a record-breaking opening weekend of $97 million domestically and $217 million globally. This shattered the previous biopic opening record held by ‘Straight Outta Compton’ and far exceeded the $51 million debut of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’ What has transpired since is even more astounding.
The film has now matched ‘The Passion of the Christ’s’ 48-day streak of earning over $1 million daily at the domestic box office, tying the biopic record for this achievement. With a cumulative U.S. total of $357.8 million, the film is now closing in on ‘The Passion of the Christ’ as the all-time highest-grossing biopic domestically.
Tracking data indicates that ‘Michael’ maintained a streak of over $1 million per day for 47 consecutive days, a level of consistency that is rare in the post-pandemic box office landscape. This places the film in a notable position for the longest streak of its kind since theaters reopened. The closest recent comparison is ‘Barbie,’ which previously held a 46-day streak.
However, ‘Michael’ still trails behind major blockbusters like ‘Avatar: The Way of Water,’ ‘Inside Out 2,’ and ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ which have longer streaks in the post-COVID era. Matching a biopic-specific record while competing alongside these box office giants highlights the film’s unique and sustained cultural impact.
With $354.3 million in domestic gross, the film has already surpassed ‘American Sniper’ to become the second-highest-grossing biopic domestically. The next target is ‘The Passion of the Christ’ and its $370.3 million domestic total, which would make ‘Michael’ the highest-grossing biopic in North American history.
One complicating factor looming over the final stretch of ‘Michael’s’ theatrical run is the timing of its digital release. After debuting on digital streaming platforms on June 9, the film quickly climbed to the top of the digital charts, becoming the number one film on both the Apple TV store and Amazon Prime Video. The question now is whether this availability will draw casual viewers away from theaters in the coming weeks, or if dedicated fans will continue to support the big-screen experience.
Based on current trends, projections suggest the film could potentially reach between $370 million and $380 million in total U.S. earnings, with its future performance hinging partly on how the digital release impacts theatrical attendance.
The domestic story is only part of the picture. Globally, ‘Michael’ has surpassed the $900 million mark, making it the second music biopic in Hollywood history to reach this milestone. It is now just $11 million shy of overtaking ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’s’ $910 million worldwide total, which would make ‘Michael’ the highest-grossing music biopic of all time.
Despite critics largely dismissing the film with a low 38% score on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences have responded with overwhelming enthusiasm, giving it a 97% Verified Hot audience score and a CinemaScore of A minus. This disparity between critical and audience reception is striking and illustrates why the film continues to thrive.
The film’s remarkable staying power through nearly two months of theatrical release, matching biopic records set by one of the most culturally significant films of the early 2000s while simultaneously approaching the all-time global record for music biopics, is a phenomenon that the industry will discuss for years to come. Share your thoughts in the comments about whether you believe ‘Michael’ will ultimately claim the title of highest-grossing biopic of all time.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!