{"id":522825,"date":"2026-06-28T15:44:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T15:44:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/522825\/"},"modified":"2026-06-28T15:44:28","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T15:44:28","slug":"moonwalking-into-history-michael-officially-dethrones-oppenheimer-as-the-highest-grossing-biopic-of-all-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/522825\/","title":{"rendered":"Moonwalking Into History: ‘Michael’ Officially Dethrones ‘Oppenheimer’ as the Highest-Grossing Biopic of All Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are box office milestones, and then there are moments that genuinely reshape how Hollywood thinks about an entire genre. <\/p>\n

The Michael Jackson biopic \u2018Michael<\/a>\u2018 has been delivering both kinds of moments since it first opened in April, dismantling records almost every weekend it has been in theaters. What began as an ambitious gamble for Lionsgate has quietly turned into one of the most commercially dominant theatrical runs in recent memory.<\/p>\n

The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Michael Jackson\u2019s own nephew Jaafar Jackson in the title role, had already cleared an enormous hurdle earlier this month. It surpassed \u2018Bohemian Rhapsody\u2019 to become the highest-grossing music biopic of all time, crossing $911.9 million worldwide and igniting a fresh wave of conversation about just how far the King of Pop could carry this film. The answer, it turns out, was further than anyone fully imagined.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, \u2018Michael\u2019 officially crossed the $975 million mark worldwide, surpassing Christopher Nolan\u2019s \u2018Oppenheimer\u2019 to become the highest-grossing biopic of any kind in cinema history. The record that many considered nearly untouchable has now fallen, and it fell to a story about a pop star, not a physicist. As of last week, the film had grossed $959.6 million globally, with international ticket sales accounting for nearly 62 percent of its worldwide total, and its continued momentum in Japan pushed it past the finish line.<\/p>\n

MICHAEL has officially become the highest-grossing biopic of all time at the global box office this Sunday.<\/p>\n

The King of Pop surpassed Christopher Nolan\u2019s OPPENHEIMER ($975M) . pic.twitter.com\/S7WQ5GwW8N<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Global Box Office (@GlobalBoxOffice) June 28, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Christopher Nolan\u2019s \u2018Oppenheimer\u2019 ended its theatrical run with a global total of $912.7 million, surpassing the previous record held by \u2018Bohemian Rhapsody\u2019 and cementing itself as the highest-grossing biopic of all time. The achievement felt nearly unassailable, a once-in-a-generation box office performance built around a three-hour, R-rated story about a physicist and a bomb. And yet here we are.<\/p>\n

Adding another layer to the story is producer Graham King, who also produced \u2018Bohemian Rhapsody,\u2019 meaning King has now beaten his own all-time record in the music biopic genre. In 40 international markets, including Brazil, France, and Mexico, \u2018Michael\u2019 has already surpassed the entire lifetime gross of \u2018Bohemian Rhapsody,\u2019 and it became the most successful biopic ever released in France, overtaking the beloved \u00c9dith Piaf drama \u2018La Vie en Rose.\u2019<\/p>\n

Part of what makes the film\u2019s ascent so culturally fascinating is the staggering gap between how critics and audiences received it. On Rotten Tomatoes, 38 percent of critics\u2019 reviews are positive, with the site\u2019s consensus reading that while Jaafar Jackson\u2019s smooth moves bring the King of Pop to uncanny life, the musical biopic mostly plays like a greatest hits album that could have benefited from more insight into the icon. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an A minus, while those surveyed by PostTrak gave it a 90 percent positive score, with 84 percent saying they would definitely recommend it.<\/p>\n

With audiences actually showing up in costume to catch the film, and some of them performing choreographed routines in the theater, the film is remarkable proof of the King of Pop\u2019s cultural relevance. Critics dismissed it. Moviegoers turned it into the most successful biopic ever made. That contrast has become one of the defining entertainment stories of the year.<\/p>\n

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With \u2018Michael\u2019 now surpassing \u2018Oppenheimer,\u2019 attention turns immediately to the next milestone. If the film can push past $975 million, it would be only $25 million away from becoming the first biopic to break $1 billion at the box office, which would make it the second film of the year to achieve that mark alongside the Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Japan, which opened just weeks ago and has been delivering extraordinary holds each weekend, remains the key engine powering that charge.<\/p>\n

The film\u2019s opening weekend of $97.2 million was the best ever for a biographical or musical film, surpassing the record previously held by \u2018Straight Outta Compton,\u2019 and the staying power since then has been equally remarkable. The movie has had remarkable weekend holds, dipping by 44 percent in its second weekend, 30 percent in the third, 31 percent in the fourth, 21 percent in the fifth, and 43 percent in the sixth. For a film of this scale, that kind of resilience across multiple months is rare.<\/p>\n

A sequel is already in development at Lionsgate. The first chapter of this story has now written itself into the record books permanently. Let us know in the comments whether you think \u2018Michael\u2019 can become the first biopic to cross the billion-dollar mark before its theatrical run ends.<\/p>\n

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!<\/p>\n