The Michael Jackson biopic has become the highest-grossing music film in cinema history, surpassing $911 million worldwide and moving into the conversation about the biggest biographical films ever made, according to box office data released this week.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson — the late pop star’s nephew — as Michael Jackson, the film broke the opening weekend record for a biopic when it launched in May, earning $97 million domestically and $217 million globally in its first three days. It has held steady since, drawing audiences back for repeat viewings in multiple markets.
The previous record for a music biopic was held by Bohemian Rhapsody, which earned $911 million in 2018 over a much longer theatrical run. The Michael Jackson film reached that number in significantly fewer weeks, reflecting both the global scale of Jackson’s fan base and the quality of the production, which received strong critical notices.
Jaafar Jackson’s performance drew particular attention from reviewers and audiences. He is the son of Jermaine Jackson and carries a physical resemblance to his uncle that allowed the film to sidestep the uncanny valley problem that undermines many biographical portrayals of famous performers.
The film has performed strongly across all major markets. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Brazil, Mexico and Australia have each delivered more than $30 million in revenue. Markets in Southeast Asia and the Middle East also contributed significantly to the global total.
Lionsgate and Universal, which distributed the film, are now weighing whether the film can reach $1 billion before its theatrical run ends. A crossing of that milestone would make it one of only a handful of non-franchise biographical films to do so.
The release comes during a summer when entertainment box office has been stronger than expected. Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day also opened to strong numbers this weekend, showing that audiences are returning to cinemas for original, director-driven films rather than sequels alone.
The Michael Jackson estate cooperated with the production, which gave the film access to original recordings and archival footage that earlier unauthorised productions could not include. That access shaped the storytelling in ways that distinguish the film from speculative biopics made without family involvement.
Fuqua’s direction was described by critics as disciplined and emotionally grounded, avoiding the biographical film clichés of dramatized rehearsal scenes and obvious musical crescendos. The film focuses on specific periods of Jackson’s life rather than attempting a comprehensive cradle-to-grave narrative, and reviewers credited that restraint with giving the film its cohesion. You can catch up on more entertainment news including recent box office results on our entertainment section.
The biopic market has grown significantly in recent years, with films about Freddie Mercury, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and others finding large audiences. The Michael Jackson film now sits above all of them, at least by box office measure.
