‘Michael’ Breaks Lionsgate Records With $900M Box Office Achievement
The biopic ‘Michael’ centered on Michael Jackson has officially become the most commercially successful film in Lionsgate’s history, surpassing the $900 million mark at the global box office. This remarkable feat has reshaped the studio’s record chart, which was previously dominated by dystopian franchises and vampire romances. The film now stands alongside only a few biopics that have achieved such financial success in cinema history.
Debuting in theaters on April 24, ‘Michael’ opened to a staggering $97 million domestically and $217 million globally in its first weekend, marking the best opening ever for a biopic. This impressive start outperformed ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, which opened with $51 million before eventually grossing $910 million worldwide.
As of now, ‘Michael’ has grossed over $911.9 million worldwide, overtaking ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ to claim the title of the highest-grossing musical biopic ever produced. It is also the second highest-grossing film of the year so far, trailing only ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, and represents the biggest box office success of director Antoine Fuqua’s career.
The film features Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s real-life nephew, in the title role, alongside a talented cast that includes Colman Domingo, Miles Teller, and Kendrick Sampson. Producer Graham King brought the project together, enlisting screenwriter John Logan and Fuqua, who began his career directing music videos for iconic artists like Prince and Stevie Wonder.
The journey to theaters was not without its challenges. The film required a complete reshoot of its third act due to a legal issue involving one of the individuals who accused Jackson of sexual abuse. A settlement reached by Jackson’s estate with Jordan Chandler included a clause that prevented Chandler from being depicted in any film about Jackson’s life, a detail that was overlooked during production. This led to an additional $50 million in reshoot costs, bringing the film’s total production budget to around $200 million.
Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, audiences have embraced the film enthusiastically, allowing it to surpass previous Lionsgate leaders like ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ and ‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2’ on the studio’s all-time global chart. Universal managed the film’s overseas distribution in most international markets, while Lionsgate retained the domestic rights and select territories.
With the film’s momentum continuing to grow and a sequel reportedly in early development, Lionsgate seems to have found its new flagship franchise in the story of the King of Pop.
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