Michael becomes the highest-grossing biopic ever despite scathing reviews
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Michael, the biopic about the King of Pop Michael Jackson, is undeniably one of the most polarising films of 2026.
However, it has just made history by becoming the highest-grossing biopic of all time.
The Lionsgate film, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jafaar Jackson in the lead role, has moonwalked past Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, starring Cillian Murphy.
Still in theatrical release, Michael has grossed $977.4 million (£740.9m), surpassing Oppenheimer’s $975.8 million (£739.1m).
This comes despite Oppenheimer’s incredible Oscar-winning run, which included seven awards from best picture to best director.
Over this past weekend, Michael has pulled in $9.2million (£6.9m) at the global box office.
The anticipation also remains that Michael, which stars Jackson’s nephew Jaafar as the music man, will reach a billion worldwide.
If it does so, it will become the second film to do so in 2026 after Universal’s Super Mario Galaxy movie.
It was also able to pull off this record while being on a 46-day theatrical window.
In comparison, Oppenheimer was on a well over six month theatrical window before it landed on streaming service Peacock.
Michael has also surpassed Bohemian Rapsody, which earned $911 million (£690m), both of which were produced by Graham King.
This comes after fans praised Michael as ‘the ultimate love letter to fans’ despite there being major controversy.
According to Variety, the Michael Jackson estate spent up to $15 million (£13.5m) to remove child abuse scenes.
After a costly rewrite the film now steers firmly away from those allegations.
Originally, the film leaned into the turbulence of when Evan Chandler accused the singer of sexually abusing his 13-year-old son, Jordan Chandler, in 1993.
Early versions of the script included scenes that featured Jackson grappling with the fallout.
Instead of ending in 1993, the film’s finale will sees Jackson at his fame during his Bad tour, a global phenomenon tied to his 1987 album Bad.
The decision to omit the allegations, which the Broadway musical MJ also does, is in line with a broader strategy by the estate to present a more sympathetic portrait of Jackson.
The central tension is instead about the pop star’s fraught relationship with his father, Joe Jackson, who is played by Colman Domingo.
Describing what it has been like to play his uncle, Jafar told Variety earlier this year: ‘It’s an honor of a lifetime. Definitely an experience I’ll never forget.
Michael is available to rent on platforms such as Prime Video, Apple TV, or Sky Store.