Michael Is the First Biopic to Make $1 Billion

Michael, the critically reviled film about Michael Jackson’s life, has become the first biopic to make over $1 billion. The film has made $371.8 million domestically, and a whopping $629.8 million internationally, making its global total $1.001 billion. Bet they wish they could legally make a sequel now.

Besides being the first biopic to cross the billion-dollar threshold, Michael has become the highest grossing musical biopic, surpassing 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody, which made $911 million. Oppenheimer is the second-highest-grossing biopic, with $975 million in earnings to date. Michael is now also Lionsgate’s biggest film, beating The Hunger Games: Catching Fire ($865 million) and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2 ($850 million). That film is still the highest-grossing movie to include a scene where Kristen Stewart eats a mountain lion, though.

Normally, a movie this profitable would induce sequel talk in its creators. Unfortunately for Lionsgate and Michael director Antoine Fuqua, some details of Michael Jackson’s later days cannot be depicted onscreen. The Chandler family accused Jackson of molesting their son, Jordan, in 1993. This case was going to be the framing device of Michael, but the terms of a settlement prohibit the Chandlers from being dramatized. Also, with Janet Jackson refusing to appear in the film, how would they reenact the “Scream” music video?

Sign up for the Vulture Daily

An entertainment newsletter for the pop-culture obsessed.

Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice

By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us.

Related