Michael Jackson Biopic ‘Michael’ Smashes Box Office Records With $217 Million Global Opening Lionsgate’s highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic ‘Michael’ has delivered a record-breaking box office debut, proving that audience demand for the King of Pop’s legacy remains strong despite critical controversy. The film opened to a staggering $97 million in domestic markets and $120.4 million internationally, resulting in a global opening weekend total of $217.4 million. This performance shatters previous records for music biopics, surpassing the $80 million domestic opening of ‘Oppenheimer’ and exceeding the worldwide launches of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘Straight Outta Compton’. According to studio estimates, the opening far exceeded initial projections, which had forecasted a domestic debut closer to $70 million. The film’s success comes despite a troubled production that reportedly required $50 million in reshoots to address concerns raised during early screenings. Critical reception has been mixed, with the film holding a 38 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes based on critic reviews. However, audience response has been overwhelmingly positive, with a 97 percent “Fresh” rating from verified viewers and an average score of 7.6 out of 10 on IMDb. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson as a younger Michael Jackson, the biopic focuses on the artist’s rise to fame and concludes its narrative in 1988—years before the child sexual abuse allegations that later impacted Jackson’s public image. This storytelling choice has drawn criticism from some reviewers who argue the film “whitewashes” Jackson’s legacy by omitting later controversies. Nevertheless, the strong box office showing indicates that global audiences remain eager to engage with Jackson’s music and early career milestones. Lionsgate chairman Adam Fogelson confirmed that a sequel is already in development, noting that a third film in the series is “not inconceivable” given the film’s performance. As of Monday, April 27, 2026, ‘Michael’ stands as the highest-grossing opening weekend in history for a music biopic, both domestically and globally, marking a significant moment in the post-pandemic recovery of theatrical releases for non-franchise, adult-oriented dramas.
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