‘Michael’ Just Became the Highest-Grossing Biopic in U.S. Box Office History

The Michael Jackson biopic ‘Michael‘ has officially crossed into history, surpassing ‘The Passion of the Christ’ as the highest-grossing biographical film of all time at the domestic box office.

As flagged by box office analyst Luiz Fernando, the film has now crossed $370.8 million in North America to take the all-time domestic crown, landing at number 65 on the list of highest-grossing films in the history of the U.S. box office, with a final run expected to settle between $372 million and $375 million.

The achievement required overtaking a remarkable pair of benchmarks in quick succession. ‘Michael’ first had to clear ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ at $370.5 million, then surpass ‘The Passion of the Christ’s’ legendary $370.8 million, a total that had stood as the domestic ceiling for any biographical release for over two decades. It has now cleared them both.

The film also surpassed ‘Oppenheimer’ as the highest-grossing biopic ever at the worldwide box office, passing Christopher Nolan’s 2023 film at approximately $977 million globally to take the all-time record. ‘Oppenheimer’ had previously held that mark with $975 million. The worldwide total means ‘Michael’ is also now the highest-grossing music biopic ever, surpassing ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’s’ $911 million lifetime haul.

The film’s tenth Thursday in wide release saw a gross of just $117,000, a 55.4% drop from the previous Thursday, with the biopic now available on digital platforms and playing in just 711 theaters. Those numbers make the domestic record all the more extraordinary, representing a film that ran deep into its theatrical life, bled theaters week by week, and still managed to set an all-time benchmark in the process.

‘Michael’ has grossed $370.2 million domestically and $607.2 million overseas since its April release, with Lionsgate handling domestic distribution and Universal managing international markets. The film is also Lionsgate’s highest-grossing release of all time, surpassing 2013’s ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.’

The road to this record was far from smooth. The production required $50 million in reshoots after the Jackson estate identified an issue with how an accuser was depicted in the original screenplay by John Logan. The film ultimately ends with Michael beginning his Bad World Tour, before the first abuse allegations arise. That choice kept the project in controversy throughout its release, but the box office refused to reflect the noise.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson in his feature debut, the biopic now stands as the most commercially successful telling of a single person’s life story ever made at the North American box office. A sequel covering Jackson’s later life has already been confirmed, meaning the story, both the film’s and Michael Jackson’s, still has chapters left to write.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!