EXCLUSIVE: It’s finally happened, and as Michael and Janet Jackson would have sang, “It makes ya wanna scream.”
The Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody has been caught in a landslide as the King of Pop’s biopic Michael has become the highest-grossing musical biopic ever with $911.9 million worldwide.
It’s a feat that Lionsgate and Universal have pulled off as the Jaafar Jackson-starring, Antoine Fuqua- directed Michael Jackson movie arrives in Japan today. That territory alone could make Michael the second title to cross $1 billion at the 2026 global B.O. after Universal’s Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
In addition, as we always pointed out, Graham King beats his own all-time box office record; he was also the producer behind the four-time Oscar winning Bohemian Rhapsody.
Lionsgate is partnering with Kino for the Japan release. The Santa Monica, CA-based studio also has theatrical in Russia, where the pic has collected $10M.
The studio faced great challenges in the making of the movie, forced to do $50M in reshoots after the Jackson estate overlooked a key plot point in the screenplay about one of his accusers, who was never supposed to be dramatized in the John Logan-written movie. It’s a gamble and a battle that has truly paid off for the motion picture studio division led by chair Adam Fogelson. Bravo.
Michael currently counts $358.6M at the domestic box office with $553.3M from international (Universal generated $540.5M of that after taking foreign theatrical and ancillary rights). Bohemian Rhapsody grossed $216.6M stateside and $694.3M abroad.
Below is a list of the box office records broken by Michael:
- Lionsgate’s highest-grossing theatrical release ever at the worldwide box office
- Highest-grossing musical biopic of all time
- Largest global opening weekend ever for a musical biopic
- 65 of international markets achieved the highest-grossing opening ever for a musical biopic
- 40 international markets surpassed the lifetime of Bohemian Rhapsody including Brazil, France and Mexico
- Highest-grossing Universal film of all time in Brazil
- Most successful biopic ever in France, surpassing legendary local film La Môme (La Vie En Rose)
- Highest-grossing music biopic (domestic)
- Highest-grossing biopic (domestic)
- Largest domestic opening weekend for a musical biopic