Antoine Fuqua's Michael biopic has officially rewritten box office history, surpassing Bohemian Rhapsody to claim the title of highest-grossing music biopic ever made.
Per Deadline, the Michael Jackson film has officially crossed $911.9 million worldwide, edging slightly past Bohemian Rhapsody's $910.9 million lifetime gross. The milestone arrives the same day the film opens in Japan, its final major market, through a Lionsgate-Kino partnership — meaning it’ll continue surging into uncharted biopic territory.
Michael had already cleared $900 million on June 9, at which point it trailed Bohemian Rhapsody by roughly $11 million. It had previously climbed past 2022's Elvis in the music biopic rankings before setting its sights on the Queen film's record.
Michael’s massive number is made up of its $358.6 million domestic haul and $553.3 million international earnings. Since it was released in April, it immediately set records with its $97.2 million earnings during its opening weekend.
Jaafar Jackson, son of Jermaine Jackson, leads the film in his acting debut as the adult Michael Jackson. Juliano Krue Valdi plays the young Jackson, also in his first acting role. The supporting cast includes Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, Miles Teller as John Branca, Laura Harrier as Suzanne de Passe, and Mike Myers as CBS Records executive Walter Yetnikoff.
Given the film’s immediate success, and the fact that its storyline ends in 1988, it’s no surprise that a sequel about the later years of Jackson’s life is in the works. Lionsgate motion picture chair Adam Fogelson confirmed the project is advancing, saying in a May earnings call for Lionsgate, "We are really excited about the progress we're making with respect to a second Michael film. All the conversations that we've been having with all of the appropriate parties continue to go exceptionally well."
He added that "there is a ton of incredibly entertaining Michael Jackson stories, and much of the biggest and most popular parts of his music catalogue that were not touched upon in the first film."
