‘Michael’ Just Moonwalked Into Box Office History, Toppling ‘The Jungle Book’ on the All-Time Domestic Chart

Few musical legacies carry the kind of commercial gravity that Michael Jackson commanded in life, and nearly two decades after his passing, the King of Pop is proving that gravitational pull still operates at full force. Antoine Fuqua’s long-gestating biopic about Jackson’s rise has been one of the defining theatrical events of the year, racking up milestone after milestone since its wide release in the spring.

The film launched with a record-smashing domestic opening of $97.2 million and a $121.6 million international debut, giving it a global opening weekend total of $218.8 million. That domestic figure marked the biggest opening weekend in history for any biopic, surpassing the $80 million debut of ‘Oppenheimer’. Industry observers had not seen it coming at that scale, with even the most optimistic tracking projections placing the opening closer to $70 million.

Now, nearly two months into its theatrical run, ‘Michael’ has added another record to its growing collection. The film has surpassed ‘The Jungle Book’s $366 million domestic run, placing it among the top 70 highest-grossing movies of all time at the US box office. The biopic earned a solid $2.9 million over its ninth domestic weekend, though it experienced a steeper drop after the film’s digital release began pulling audiences away from theaters.

Globally, ‘Michael’ has now crossed $939 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Lionsgate film ever released, the second-highest-grossing film of the year, and the highest-grossing music biopic of all time. That global tally dethrones ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, the four-time Oscar-winning Queen biopic that had long held the top spot in the music genre with $911 million. Producer Graham King, who shepherded both films, has now broken his own record.

The film stars Jaafar Jackson, Michael’s real nephew, in the title role, a piece of casting that received early approval from the family, with Katherine Jackson saying publicly that he “embodies” her son. Critics, however, have been far less enthusiastic. On Rotten Tomatoes, only 38% of reviews are positive, with the consensus noting that while Jaafar’s performance brings the King of Pop to life, the film plays more like a greatest hits package than a genuine biographical portrait.

With its domestic run still active, the next targets on the all-time chart include ‘Despicable Me 2’, ‘The Secret Life of Pets’, and ‘The Batman’, all sitting slightly above its current total. The most tantalizing prize ahead is ‘The Passion of the Christ’, which earned $370.3 million domestically, a figure that would make ‘Michael’ the highest-grossing biographical film ever at the US box office if surpassed. A sequel is already in development, suggesting this particular moonwalk through cinema history may be far from its final bow.

Whether you think the film earned its records or left too much of the real story on the cutting room floor, we’d love to know if you’d show up for a sequel that finally tackles the full complexity of Jackson’s later years.