Michael, the biographical drama based on the life of Michael Jackson, has become the highest-grossing biopic of all time, earning $977 million worldwide and surpassing Oppenheimer at the global box office.
The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua, had already become the highest-grossing music biopic after overtaking Bohemian Rhapsody, the 2018 film based on British rock band Queen.
It has now surpassed Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan, which previously held the record as the highest-grossing biopic with a worldwide gross of more than $975 million.
Released in April, Michael opened to $217 million globally in its first week, outperforming previous music biopics such as Straight Outta Compton and Bohemian Rhapsody. It has also become the highest-grossing film in the history of Lionsgate Studios, surpassing The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
The film chronicles Jackson's rise from his early years with the Jackson 5 to his emergence as the "King of Pop." Jackson's nephew, Jaafar Jackson, stars in the lead role, while Colman Domingo and Nia Long portray his parents.
The film surpassed Oppenheimer despite the latter benefiting from the viral "Barbenheimer" phenomenon in 2023, when audiences flocked to cinemas to watch both Barbie and Oppenheimer after the two films were released on the same day.
