Michael crosses $800M globally, now hunting down Oppenheimer’s all-time biopic record

The Michael Jackson biopic is no longer just a box office success story. It is now chasing history. Michael crossed the $800 million mark at the global box office this week, putting it on track to surpass Oppenheimer’s roughly $952 million worldwide gross. This would make it the highest-grossing biographical film ever made.

“Oppenheimer,” a 2023 film directed by Christopher Nolan, chronicles the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who spearheaded the creation of the atomic bomb during World War II. Cillian Murphy’s exceptional portrayal of Oppenheimer was a key factor in the movie’s success, which garnered seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

The film achieved a remarkable global box office of $952 million, an impressive feat for a three-hour biographical drama exploring such a multifaceted historical figure. It redefined the commercial potential for serious biographical films.

Now Michael is knocking on that door.

Weeks after its record-breaking global debut of $217 million (including $97 million domestically and $121.6 million internationally), the film reached a new milestone. This made it the highest-grossing musical biopic opening ever, surpassing the 2018 premiere of “Bohemian Rhapsody” by a significant margin. Notably, within just two days of release, the film had already recouped roughly 110% of its $200 million production budget.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, *Michael* is a collaboration between Lionsgate and Universal International.

The film chronicles Michael Jackson’s journey from his early days with the Jackson 5 to becoming a global superstar. Jaafar Jackson makes his debut as Michael, while Colman Domingo and Nia Long portray his parents, Joe and Katherine. A standout feature of the film has been its concert recreations, particularly those for “Billie Jean,” “Thriller,” and “Beat It,” which have received widespread acclaim.

Similar read: Michael Jackson’s “Michael” biopic breaks records with $217M global debut. Here’s all you need to know about it

The trajectory is similar to Bohemian Rhapsody, which opened with only $51 million in 2018 but went on to earn $910 million. Michael had a much stronger start and is maintaining its momentum throughout its theatrical release.

Nigeria showed up for Michael too

In Nigeria, the movie performed remarkably well, earning ₦123.2 million in its first three days. It debuted with ₦111.6 million and continued to rise over the weekend of April 24-26. It easily took the top spot at the box office, far surpassing “The Return of Arinzo,” which came in second with ₦21.1 million.

This impressive local opening was achieved even without showings at Filmhouse Group cinemas, a major cinema chain in Africa, making the figures even more significant.

Critics have expressed concerns about the film ending in 1988, as it omits the abuse allegations that characterised the later period of Jackson’s public life. Lionsgate has announced plans for at least one more film to cover that part of his story.

Currently, with Oppenheimer still the film to beat in its category, the movie appears to be emulating its storied competition by dominating the largest available platform and maintaining its momentum.