The much-anticipated musical biopic Michael about pop legend Michael Jackson has stormed the global box office, delivering the biggest opening weekend ever recorded for a biographical film.
The film, which stars Jaafar Jackson as the King of Pop, has grossed an impressive $217 million worldwide since its midweek release, setting a new benchmark for musical biopics.
With this performance, Michael surpasses the previous record held by Bohemian Rhapsody, which debuted with $124 million in 2018 and featured Rami Malek as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.
The film also outpaced the global opening of Oppenheimer, which earned $180 million, further cementing its status as the biggest debut for any biopic.
Reacting to the milestone, Adam Fogelson, chairman of the film’s U.S. distributor Lionsgate, attributed the success to widespread audience appeal.
“You don’t deliver this figure unless you’re seeing huge numbers across every conceivable demographic. [Audiences] are clearly having a blast,” he said.
Despite its commercial success, Michael has received mixed critical reviews. While audiences have embraced the film, reflected in a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, critics have been less enthusiastic, awarding it a significantly lower average score of 38%, with some describing the portrayal of Jackson’s life as “sanitised.”
The film is part of a broader trend of successful musical biopics in recent years, following projects on artists like Elton John, Bob Marley, and Whitney Houston.
Backed by Jackson’s estate and featuring his original recordings, Michael focuses heavily on recreating iconic performances and explores his complex relationship with his father, Joseph Jackson.
Notably, the film does not address the child abuse allegations made against Jackson during his lifetime. The late singer had consistently denied the claims and was acquitted in a 2005 trial.
Director Antoine Fuqua revealed that production faced major challenges after a previously unknown non-disclosure agreement limited the portrayal of certain events, forcing the team to rework the film’s final act.
“All movies have different challenges, but this one was unique,” Fuqua said, adding that the team ultimately chose to focus more on Jackson’s musical legacy.
With a reported production budget of around $200 million, Michael is among the most expensive biopics ever made. The film is yet to open in Japan, where its release is scheduled for June.
BBC