The Michael Jackson film Michael has become the highest-grossing music biopic in history after securing $911.9 million at the global box office, per rollingstone.com.
Production company Lionsgate confirmed the record-breaking figures, which see the film surpass the previous record-holder, the 2018 Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, which grossed $910 million during its theatrical run.
According to data released by Lionsgate, Michael has taken $358 million domestically and $553 million internationally. The record-breaking total does not include the figures from the most recent weekend of screenings.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the blockbuster tracks Jackson’s early years with the Jackson 5 through to his 1988 Bad tour. The commercial success comes despite negative reviews from critics and significant public backlash regarding the narrative scope of the film.
The production faced complications after revelations emerged that the filmmakers were legally barred from depicting the child sexual abuse allegations brought against Jackson by Jordan Chandler. This restriction necessitated reshooting the entire third act of the film and delayed its initial release date by nearly a year.
The theatrical release has simultaneously triggered a major resurgence in interest for Jackson’s musical catalogue. In the United States, his solo material accumulated a career-best 137.5 million official on-demand streams during the opening week of April 24-30, marking a 146 per cent increase from his previous high and driving his 1982 album Thriller back to number seven on the Billboard 200 chart.
Jackson’s collaborative material from the 1960s, 70s and 80s with the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons also experienced a commercial lift. The group’s discography generated 10.1 million streams during the same opening week, representing a 135 per cent increase from the prior week.
