'Michael' Becomes Highest-Grossing Music Biopic Worldwide

Michael, the 2026 feature about the life of Michael Jackson, has become the highest-grossing music biopic of all time, overtaking Bohemian Rhapsody. The film drew large crowds despite pre-release controversy, with some audience members attending in costume and performing choreographed routines in theaters.

The movie opened with $40 million on its first day and more than $97 million over its opening weekend, even eclipsing biopic opening records previously held by Oppenheimer. Before this weekend, domestic receipts stood at over $358 million and international takings at $541 million—nearly $900 million worldwide.

Deadline reports that after its release in Japan Michael passed $911.9 million, making it officially the top-grossing music biopic globally and the most successful biopic at the domestic box office; it could still reach $1 billion if Japanese audiences continue to turn out.

Japan

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