The controversial Michael Jackson biopic Michael has shattered box office records for a music biopic, earning an estimated $97 million domestically and $217 million globally during its opening weekend. The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua, has surpassed the previous record holder, the 2015 N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, which opened with $60 million domestically.
Record-Breaking Performance
The film's strong debut also eclipses the opening weekend of the 2018 Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, which earned $51 million domestically but went on to gross $910 million worldwide. Other notable music biopics, such as 2022's Elvis ($31 million), 2019's Rocketman ($25 million), 2005's Walk the Line ($22 million), and 2004's Ray ($20 million), have all been outpaced by Michael.
In the U.S., Michael achieved the second biggest opening weekend of the year, trailing only The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
Critical Reception and Audience Response
Despite its commercial success, the film has drawn heavy criticism from reviewers. Many accuse it of "whitewashing" Jackson's legacy by ending the story in 1988, before multiple child sexual abuse allegations against the singer emerged. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a critics' score of just 38 percent, indicating a "Rotten" rating. However, the audience score is overwhelmingly positive at 97 percent "Fresh."
While the disparity could be due to "review bombing," other platforms confirm strong public reception. On IMDB, Michael has a rating of 7.6 out of 10, and on Letterboxd, it averages 3.6 out of 5 stars, with most ratings between 4 and 5 stars.
Mixed Reviews from Critics
In a one-star review for The Independent, critic Clarisse Loughrey wrote: "The draw of Michael... isn't the desire to understand Jackson as a person or as an artist, or to grapple with the weight of his legacy... It exists to be consumed as an act of allegiance, as proof of fandom."
