Antoine Fuqua King of Pop Biopic ‘Michael’ Says Goodbye to Theaters With an Incredible Box Office Run

Box office milestones tend to arrive one at a time, but this particular film has spent the past several months rewriting the record books at a pace few releases ever manage. Every week seemed to bring another headline about the Michael Jackson biopic overtaking yet another benchmark, and its theatrical journey has finally reached its conclusion.

That journey officially closed out this week as ‘Michael’ wrapped its United States theatrical run, adding a final modest $20,000 over its last one hundred sixty-five theaters on its thirteenth Thursday in release. That quiet finish caps off an extraordinary run that began back in April, when the film opened to a record-shattering $97 million domestic debut.

The film closes its domestic chapter with a final United States total of $372.3 million after ninety-one days in theaters, cementing its place as Lionsgate’s highest-grossing release of all time and the highest-grossing biopic in film history. That domestic figure represents just a portion of the film’s overall success, with international markets contributing the majority of its total worldwide haul.

Globally, ‘Michael’ crossed the billion-dollar mark earlier this month, becoming the first biographical film in history to ever reach that milestone. That achievement pushed the film past Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer,’ which had previously held the record for highest-grossing biopic with roughly $976 million worldwide, and also allowed ‘Michael’ to overtake ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ as the highest-grossing musical biopic ever made.

Director Antoine Fuqua reflected on reaching that billion dollar milestone in a statement, calling the achievement a deeply humbling moment that celebrates the tireless dedication of the film’s producers, cast, crew and partners. He credited the milestone to everyone who came together with a shared vision to honor one of the greatest artists the world has ever known.

The film stars Jaafar Jackson, the singer’s real life nephew, in his acting debut portraying his famous uncle, alongside Colman Domingo and Nia Long as Jackson’s parents Joe and Katherine. That personal family connection added a unique layer of authenticity to a production that faced its own share of behind the scenes challenges before ultimately reaching theaters.

Those production difficulties included reported reshoots costing as much as fifty million dollars, triggered after the Jackson estate flagged a legal issue tied to a settlement clause barring the production from depicting one of Jackson’s accusers. That situation forced the filmmakers to rework the entire third act, ultimately steering the story away from the child sexual abuse allegations that shadowed the later years of Jackson’s career, a choice that has drawn significant criticism from film critics even as audiences continued flocking to theaters.

Despite that critical divide, the film’s commercial success has continued unabated throughout its run, recently surpassing ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ to become the highest-grossing film of the year worldwide. International markets have driven much of that total, with countries like Japan contributing significantly given the country’s deep-rooted connection to Jackson’s legacy and fandom.

With its domestic run now officially closed, attention has shifted toward the film’s continued performance in remaining international markets still playing the film. Lionsgate has also signaled strong interest in developing at least one additional Michael Jackson film, with the studio’s film chief previously expressing enthusiasm about ongoing conversations regarding a potential sequel.

For a film that faced significant behind-the-scenes turmoil and mixed critical reception, closing out its domestic run as the single highest-grossing biopic ever made represents a remarkable commercial outcome. What do you think made ‘Michael’ resonate so strongly with audiences throughout its historic theatrical run? Share your thoughts in the comments.