Michael Defied Critics, Controversy and a Short Theatrical Window to Make Box Office History

The media tried everything to sink this film. Critics review-bombed it. Netflix pushed a hit piece. Certain outlets were practically celebrating when the Rotten Tomatoes score came in, gleefully predicting it would flop. They thought they could bury Michael Jackson’s legacy with wack hit pieces and manufactured outrage. And yet.

Michael has officially become the highest-grossing biopic of all time, surpassing Oppenheimer with $977.4 million worldwide. It achieved this in just 46 days of theatrical release. Oppenheimer had 123 days and an Oscar season run that included seven wins, including Best Picture. And still, the Jackson biopic outperformed it. The symbolism is not lost on me. It happened just three days after the anniversary of Michael’s passing. Talk about rising.

Here is what Deadline reported:

In its tenth weekend at the global box office, Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson movie Michael continues to make history, becoming the highest grossing biopic ever with $977.4 million, ahead of Universal’s Oppenheimer. Uni also handled the foreign release of Michael sans Japan and Russia where the Antoine Fuqua directed movie is still in theatrical release.

The amaze-amaze here is that Oppenheimer got to $975.8M off an Oscar season run, which notched 7 wins including Best Picture and Best Director for Christopher Nolan, but also a final territory boost from Japan which went very late on March 29, 2024, eight months after the pic’s July release.

Michael made $9.2M at the global box office this past weekend ($905K domestic via Lionsgate, foreign juiced by Kino in Japan where Lionsgate has a co-partnership deal). Running cume domestic is $370.2M and foreign stands at $607.2M from all territories (Universal tabulating $559.7M of that figure from their own markets). The anticipation is that the movie, which stars Jackson’s nephew, Jafar Jackson in the title role, will get to a billion worldwide. If it does, it will be the second film to do so in 2026 after Universal/Illumination’s Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

Already, Michael is the highest grossing musical biopic ever, having surpassed producer Graham King’s own (he also produced Michael), Bohemian Rhapsody ($911M WW).

Interesting to note at least stateside that Michael pulled off its latest record while being on a 46-day theatrical window to PVOD. Oppenheimer was on a 123-day theatrical window to PVOD/DVD, and well over six month theatrical window before it landed on streaming service Peacock in the U.S.).

Against All Odds, Michael Jackson’s Legacy Could Not Be Buried

What makes the Michael Jackson biopic film’s success even more notable is the environment in which it was released. The project faced intense scrutiny from critics, negative media framing, and renewed attempts to litigate Jackson’s legacy in the public square. Several outlets appeared ready to declare the film a failure before audiences had fully responded. But the box office told a different story.

What makes the achievement even more impressive is the company Michael has now overtaken. Oppenheimer was not just a box office hit; it was treated as a prestige cultural event, carried through awards season and rewarded with seven Oscars. Bohemian Rhapsody, the Queen biopic, also had the advantage of celebrating a rock legend whose story was embraced by the industry with far less resistance. Michael had a very different path. It arrived under heavier scrutiny, with far more baggage attached to the public conversation around its subject.

Yet audiences still turned up in historic numbers. That tells us something important: the public appetite for Michael Jackson’s story remains enormous, no matter how determined some critics are to frame his legacy through controversy alone. That achievement speaks to the scale of Michael Jackson’s global appeal. Decades after his peak, audiences around the world remain deeply interested in his life, artistry, and cultural impact. His fanbase is not only large; it is active, organised, and far more powerful than many critics seem willing to acknowledge.

The film’s performance also shows the limits of media gatekeeping. Critics and commentators can shape a narrative, but they cannot always control public response. In this case, audiences made their own decision, and they showed up.

Michael becoming the highest-grossing biopic of all time is more than a commercial win. It is a reminder that Jackson’s legacy remains one of the most enduring in modern entertainment history. The media may continue to debate him, but the public’s fascination has not faded. The numbers speak for themselves.