‘Michael’ Biopic Surpasses Two Major ‘Lord of the Rings’ Movies at the Box Office
The Michael Jackson biopic has reached another major milestone at the global box office, officially passing two popular movies from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit franchises.
Michael has now earned $959.6 million worldwide after bringing in an additional $13.6 million over the latest weekend. Around $5.4 million of that total came from Japan, where the film recently opened in theaters.
With this achievement, Michael has moved ahead of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug on the list of the highest-grossing movies worldwide. The Two Towers finished its theatrical run with $945.6 million, while The Desolation of Smaug earned $959.1 million globally.
The success puts Michael at number 72 on the all-time global box office chart. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug now sits at number 73, while The Two Towers is ranked at number 75.
This latest accomplishment adds to an already impressive box office run for the film. Michael has become the highest-grossing music biopic ever, beating the previous record held by Bohemian Rhapsody. It has also become Lionsgate’s highest-grossing movie of all time.
The movie’s performance is especially notable because it has already been available for home viewing. Michael was released digitally for purchase and rental on June 9, meaning some audiences have already had the option to watch it outside theaters. Despite that, the film has continued to bring in strong numbers internationally.
There is still a possibility that Michael could reach the $1 billion mark worldwide. However, after spending about two months in U.S. theaters and moving into the digital market, the movie’s box office growth may slow down. Even if it falls short of that milestone, its theatrical performance has already exceeded expectations.
The film’s success has largely been driven by audiences, even though critics have been more divided. ScreenRant’s Liz Declan praised the movie, giving it a 9 out of 10 score and calling it “a masterclass in what a biopic should be.” However, many other critics were less positive, with the film currently holding a 38% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Audience reactions have been much stronger. The movie has earned a 97% Popcornmeter score from verified audience members on Rotten Tomatoes, showing that fans have connected with the story and performances.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Michael stars Jaafar Jackson, the real-life nephew of Michael Jackson, as the legendary singer. The cast also includes Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, and Miles Teller as John Branca.
The film follows Michael Jackson’s life and career, focusing on his rise to fame and the journey that made him one of the biggest entertainers in history. While opinions on the movie itself remain mixed, its box office success has been impossible to ignore.
By passing two major fantasy blockbusters, Michael has secured its place as one of the biggest movie successes of the year and a major win for music biopics.
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