The controversial Michael Jackson biopic Michael has shattered box office records, earning $97 million domestically and $217 million globally on its opening weekend. This performance surpasses the previous record holder, the 2015 N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, which earned $60 million domestically in its debut.
Comparison with Other Music Biopics
The film also outperformed the opening weekends of other notable music biopics. The 2018 Queen film Bohemian Rhapsody opened with $51 million domestically, though it eventually grossed $910 million worldwide. Elvis (2022) earned just over $31 million, Rocketman (2019) exceeded $25 million, Walk the Line (2005) made $22 million, and Ray (2004) opened to $20 million.
Michael now holds the second biggest U.S. opening weekend of the year, trailing only The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.
Critical Reception vs. Audience Response
Despite its financial success, the film has faced significant criticism. Reviewers have accused it of whitewashing Jackson's legacy by concluding the story in 1988, before multiple child sexual abuse allegations emerged. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a critics' score of just 38% ("Rotten"), but the audience score is a resounding 97% ("Fresh").
While some suggest review bombing may have influenced these numbers, other platforms show positive audience reception. On IMDB, the film 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.
Critic's Perspective
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."
