Michael Jackson movie becomes highest-grossing biopic of all time

The recently released Michael Jackson movie has overtaken Oppenheimer as the highest-grossing biopic of all time, after taking $977m (£739m) at the worldwide box office.

Michael was already the biggest ever musical biopic, having leapfrogged 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody – about the band Queen.

But it has now also surpassed director Christopher Nolan’s 2023 film about the American theoretical physicist J Robert Oppenheimer, which previously held the box office record for any film based on a real-life figure.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Michael tells the story of the late US singer’s journey from being a child star in family group the Jackson 5, to becoming the solo King of Pop.

Jaafar Jackson, the singer’s real-life nephew, plays the titular role, with Colman Domingo and Nia Long portraying his parents.

On its release in April, Michael took $217m globally in its first week, overtaking previous music biopics including 2015’s NWA film Straight Outta Compton and 2018’s Queen film Bohemian Rhapsody.

It is also now Liongsgate Studios’ most successful movie, ahead of 2013’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Michael also overtook Oppenheimer despite Noan’s film benefitting from the viral “Barbenheimer” phenomenon in the summer of 2023.

Movie audiences flocked to see both Barbie and Oppenheimer after a string of memes that made light of the two drastically different films being released on the same day.

Michael has clearly been a huge hit with the performer’s many fans around the world, for its study of his childhood and recreations of famous concert performances and music videos.

Jaafar Jackson, the son of Jermaine Jackson, received particular praise for the portrayal of his uncle.

But many critics called the film a “whitewash”, with several reviewers saying it depicted a “sanitised” version of his life and career.

This was mostly as it does not address the sexual abuse allegations against the late singer, after a historic non-disclosure agreement (NDA) prompted some footage referencing them to be scrapped.

The Hollywood Reporter said the feature “delivers for lifelong fans who cherish the music”, but the Telegraph noted that it “refuses to address the elephant in the room”. The Independent described it as a “ghoulish, soulless cash grab”.

But the poor reviews did not deter fans – who generally rated it far higher than the critics did, according to review aggregator websites such as Rotten Tomatoes.

Michael is financially backed by the late superstar’s estate and uses his original vocals for the musical numbers, which dominate the film.

Lionsgate is expected to release at least one more film about Jackson’s life, according to US publication Variety.

As well as driving fans into cinemas, the new movie has also seen an uptick in people streaming Jackson’s songs.

He’s been the most played artist in the UK on YouTube in the past month, with double the number of plays of his nearest rival, Canadian star Drake.

Billie Jean, perhaps his most famous tune, is currently the most played song on Spotify around the world.

And he was the most listened to artist on Spotify in the UK last month, shortly after the film came out, remaining in third place at time of writing.

The Essential Michael Jackson also fended off competition from from Irish language rap group Kneecap to return to the number one spot on the UK albums chart.