The Michael Jackson biopic Michael has broken the record for the largest opening weekend for a biopic, earning $217 million globally, per theguardian.com.
Despite a troubled production and a mixed critical reception, the film took $97 million in North America and $120.4 million internationally, surpassing the previous record held by Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which opened to $180.4 million in 2023.
The Lionsgate production, which stars the singer’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, significantly outperformed industry tracking. Early domestic forecasts of $50 million were eclipsed as the film nearly doubled expectations. The performance also surpassed the North American debut of *Bohemian Rhapsody*, which earned $51 million in 2018.
Produced in association with the Jackson estate, the film has faced scrutiny regarding its portrayal of the late artist. While audiences awarded the film a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes, critics offered a lower 38% rating, citing the avoidance of Jackson’s legal controversies. The final cut concludes in 1988, omitting the subsequent allegations of child sexual abuse that shadowed Jackson’s later career.
The project reached theatres following a difficult production phase that saw costs climb to nearly $200 million. Following a legal conflict regarding a 1994 settlement, producers were forced to remove significant portions of the third act. This necessitated $50 million in reshoots, funded by the estate, to restructure the narrative timeline.
Lionsgate chairman Adam Fogelson defended the creative process, describing the reshoots as a response to a “unique and challenging circumstance.” To mitigate financial risk, the studio sold international distribution rights to Universal. With the film yet to open in Japan, global figures are expected to rise further.
Plans for a sequel are already in development. Director Antoine Fuqua confirmed his interest in returning to the franchise, suggesting that unused footage covering later periods of Jackson’s life could potentially be repurposed for future instalments.
The commercial success of Michael reinforces a growing Hollywood trend where “sanitised” music biopics, often authorised by a subject’s estate, achieve massive financial returns despite critical reservations.
The film’s release follows years of renewed public debate regarding Jackson’s legacy, intensified by the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland.
