Michael Jackson biopic tops $977 million, beats Oppenheimer as highest‑grossing biopic

The Michael Jackson biopic "Michael", co‑produced by Lionsgate and Universal and directed by Antoine Fuqua, has reached a worldwide box‑office total of $977.4 million, surpassing Christopher Nolan’s "Oppenheimer" ($975.8 million) to become the highest‑grossing biographical film ever. The film, starring Jaafar Jackson as his famed uncle, earned $370.2 million in the United States and $607.2 million internationally, with strong performances in the United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Brazil and Australia, and a later release in Japan that is approaching $20 million. Industry observers note the movie is on track to hit the $1 billion milestone, which would make it only the second film of the year to do so after the "Super Mario" movie. The record underscores the continuing commercial appeal of music‑biopic productions in Hollywood.

Critics have pointed out that the film focuses mainly on Michael Jackson’s peak career years and avoids more controversial aspects of his life, a strategy that appears to have maximised its mass‑audience draw.