Michael just shattered a record held by one of Christopher Nolan’s most acclaimed films. The Michael Jackson biopic hit a historic box office milestone while chasing an even bigger one no film in its genre has ever reached.
Michael creates a massive biopic record by beating Oppenheimer
Antoine Fuqua’s Michael has officially surpassed Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer to become the highest-grossing biopic of all time. According Box Office Mojo, the film’s cumulative global box office gross will hit $977.4 million by the end of Sunday. This figure edges past Oppenheimer’s $975.8 million worldwide haul, setting a new all-time record for the genre.
The Michael Jackson biopic earned $370.2 million domestically and $607.2 million from international markets across its first 10 weekends. In comparison, Oppenheimer collected $330.1 million domestically and $645.7 million internationally during its entire theatrical run. Michael achieved a stronger domestic performance, while Oppenheimer held the edge in overseas earnings.
Notably, Michael had already broken records before reaching this milestone. The film earned $97.2 million in its domestic opening weekend, marking the best debut ever for a music biopic. It then surpassed Bohemian Rhapsody’s $911 million global haul to become the biggest music biopic ever made. As a result, the film has now earned more than the next four highest-grossing music biopics combined.
Meanwhile, the movie continues to climb at the worldwide box office despite already being available on video on demand domestically. Michael recently debuted in Japan, where it earned $16.9 million so far. This ongoing international expansion could eventually push the film past the $1 billion milestone. That achievement would make it the first biopic ever to reach that benchmark without inflation adjustment.
Additionally, Michael carries a reported budget of up to $200 million. Lionsgate typically offsets production costs through international pre-sales, placing the actual break-even point well below $500 million. The film has earned nearly five times that estimated threshold. Critics gave Michael a 38% score on Rotten Tomatoes, yet audiences propelled it to record-breaking commercial success regardless.
