‘Michael’ Dethroned ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ to Become the Highest-Grossing Music Biopic of All Time and a Billion-Dollar Crown May Be Next
For years, the Queen biopic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ sat comfortably atop the musical biopic record books, a benchmark that felt almost untouchable. Few films in that genre had come anywhere close to its global total, and the idea of a challenger emerging seemed remote. Then came Antoine Fuqua’s ‘Michael,’ a film that arrived with enormous anticipation, significant controversy, and a commercial trajectory that has been nothing short of staggering.
The film opened in April to an instant sensation, collecting $97 million domestically and $217 million globally in its first weekend, ticket sales that represented the best opening in history for any biopic, shattering the record previously held by 2015’s ‘Straight Outta Compton.’ From that explosive debut, the film barely slowed down. Its weekend holds were remarkably strong, dipping by just 44 percent in its second weekend, 30 percent in its third, and 21 percent in its fifth, a level of audience retention virtually unheard of for a film of this scale.
Then, as Deadline reported exclusively, the milestone everyone had been watching for finally arrived. ‘Michael’ is now the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time at $911.9 million worldwide, surpassing the previous record holder ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ which centered on Queen’s Freddie Mercury. The achievement is particularly notable given that producer Graham King now beats his own all-time box office record, having also produced the four-time Oscar-winning ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’
The film has performed impressively across a wide range of international markets, with strong runs in the UK, France, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, and Australia, each earning the film over $30 million. Japan became the latest territory to receive the film, and that market alone could push ‘Michael’ to become only the second title to cross $1 billion at the global box office in 2026, joining The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
None of this success has come without friction. The film has faced sustained criticism for eliding the pop star’s allegations of child sexual abuse, though that criticism has done nothing to slow its commercial momentum. The production itself had a turbulent road to screens, with reshoots required and the release pushed back multiple times after it was discovered the film needed a major overhaul due to an oversight involving the Michael Jackson estate, which backs the project. The film ultimately narrowed its scope, focusing on Jackson’s early career rather than spanning his entire life.
Jaafar Jackson, the King of Pop’s real-life nephew, stars in the title role alongside a cast that includes Nia Long, Miles Teller, Colman Domingo, and Laura Harrier. His performance has been the subject of considerable fan praise, and with a sequel already in development, Lionsgate’s top executive confirmed the filmmaking team has been hard at work preparing a second film, noting there is a great deal of music left in Jackson’s catalog that the first chapter does not get to explore.
If ‘Michael’ crosses $1 billion, it would have earned more than five times its estimated production budget, making it one of the most profitable biopics in Hollywood history. With Japan just coming online and momentum still building, the question of whether ‘Michael’ can become the first music biopic to ever cross that threshold feels less like a fantasy and more like an inevitability, so share your thoughts below on whether you think the King of Pop’s story deserves its place at the very top of cinema history.
