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'Michael' overtakes 'Bohemian Rhapsody' to become biggest music biopic in box office history
16 June 2026, 16:33
The King of Pop's life story has rewritten the record books after taking around £675 million at the global box office.
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The Michael Jackson biopic Michael has officially become the highest-grossing music biopic of all time.
The film, starring 28-year-old Jaafar Jackson in his first major acting role, has overtaken Bohemian Rhapsody after taking the equivalent of around £675 million at the worldwide box office.
Jafaar, the son of Michael Jackson's older brother Jermaine Jackson, is the late superstar's nephew, with fans praising his striking resemblance to his famous uncle.
During production, director Antoine Fuqua said Jafaar naturally embodied many of Michael's mannerisms, while the actor spent months perfecting the singer's unmistakable dance moves and stage performances.
Directed by Fuqua, Michael charts the extraordinary rise of the King of Pop, following his journey from child star with the Jackson 5 to becoming one of the biggest-selling and most influential music artists in history.
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The film recreates some of Jackson's most iconic performances and explores the making of landmark albums, including Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad, while also examining the intense pressures of global fame and the personal struggles that accompanied his unprecedented success.
The record-breaking milestone comes as the Lionsgate and Universal production opens in Japan, one of the final major territories to release the film.
The success means Michael has surpassed the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, which finished its theatrical run with approximately £674.1 million worldwide, including £160.3 million domestically and £513.8 million internationally.
Michael has now edged ahead with a global box office haul of around £674.8 million, made up of £265.4 million in North America and £409.4 million from international markets.
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Universal handled the film's international theatrical and ancillary distribution, generating approximately £400 million overseas, while Lionsgate retained distribution rights in several territories, including Russia, where the film has earned around £7.4 million.
The record-breaking success also marks another career milestone for producer Graham King, who also produced the Oscar-winning Bohemian Rhapsody.
By surpassing his previous film's worldwide total, King has broken his own box office record.
Beyond becoming the highest-grossing music biopic ever made, Michael has rewritten the record books around the world.
The film is now Lionsgate's highest-grossing theatrical release of all time and holds the record for the biggest global opening weekend ever achieved by a musical biopic.
Watch the trailer for Michael
Across international markets, Michael delivered the biggest opening ever for a music biopic in 65 territories and ultimately outperformed the lifetime earnings of Bohemian Rhapsody in 40 countries, including Brazil, France and Mexico.
In France, the film set another milestone by becoming the country's most successful biopic, overtaking the acclaimed Edith Piaf film La Môme (La Vie En Rose).
