Michael' Dethrones 'Bohemian Rhapsody' as Highest-Grossing Music Biopic Ever in North America |
LOS ANGELES — Antoine Fuqua's "Michael," the long-awaited Michael Jackson biopic starring the King of Pop's nephew Jaafar Jackson, has officially surpassed "Bohemian Rhapsody" to become the highest-grossing music biopic of all time at the North American box office, crossing approximately $240 million domestically through its third weekend.
The Lionsgate film, which opened to a record-shattering $97.2 million in its first weekend in late April, has demonstrated remarkable staying power despite mixed-to-negative critical reviews and pre-release controversy. With a current domestic total hovering near $240.4 million, it has eclipsed the $216.4–$216.7 million lifetime gross of the 2018 Queen biopic starring Rami Malek, a record that stood for nearly eight years.
Globally, "Michael" has already surpassed $570 million and is on track to become only the second music biopic ever to cross the half-billion-dollar mark worldwide, trailing only "Bohemian Rhapsody's" eventual $910 million total.
Record-breaking debut and audience enthusiasm
"Michael" arrived in theaters on April 24, 2026, with the biggest opening weekend ever for a biographical film and the strongest debut for any music biopic, smashing previous benchmarks set by "Straight Outta Compton" ($60.2 million) and "Bohemian........