By the end of its third weekend, Michael has broken the record for the highest-grossing musical biopic in domestic box office history. The milestone comes despite heavy criticism and negative reviews from much of the Hollywood access media. Audiences—and not just longtime Michael Jackson fans—appeared largely unfazed by the backlash, helping turn the film into a historic theatrical success.
According to Box Office Mojo, Michael has earned $240,489,704 domestically and $336,880,000 internationally. By comparison, the previous record-holder, Bohemian Rhapsody, finished its theatrical run with $216,668,042 domestic and $694,354,917 internationally.
An image from Michael – YouTube, Universal Pictures
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While Michael may ultimately fall short of Bohemian Rhapsody’s worldwide total, its domestic performance has already established a new benchmark for the musical biopic genre.
Strong Box Office Momentum Continues
OMB Reviews at Geeks + Gamers noted that Michael is continuing a strong box office run. The film delivered impressive returns during its first two weeks and held steadily into its third weekend. So far, the biopic has grossed approximately $577 million worldwide. Based on its current trajectory, the film is expected to surpass its minimum projected global total of roughly $615 million within the next week and could reach the average projection of around $738 million within the next two to three weeks.
An image from Michael – YouTube, Universal Pictures
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Despite its record domestic box office achievement, questions remain about whether Michael will ultimately turn a theatrical profit. Estimates for the film’s production budget vary widely, ranging from approximately $155–165 million on the low end to as much as $200 million on the high end. Extensive reshoots—reportedly replacing nearly a third of the film—significantly increased costs. If the higher-end budget estimates are accurate, OMB Reviews suggests that Michael may still fall short of breaking even through ticket sales alone.
Still, the film’s strong audience enthusiasm is likely to extend beyond theaters, potentially driving substantial digital, streaming, and physical media sales in the months ahead.
Critics and Audiences Remain Deeply Divided
The record-breaking domestic box office performance of Michael — which is still expected to climb higher — is even more notable given the critical backlash surrounding the film. At the time of its release, the movie held a 40% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Many top critic reviews described the film as superficial, safe, aimless, mechanical, and even “a snooze.”
Rotten Tomatoes review scores for Michael – Rotten Tomatoes
Audience reactions, however, have told a very different story. Michael currently holds a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Meanwhile, on Criticless, the film carries an 88% “Most Excellent” rating based on 166 user reviews. Together, the audience scores and box office results point to a broader trend: fans are not only responding positively to the film online, they are also showing up in theaters in significant numbers.
What Really Drives the Box Office
With a sequel covering the next chapter of Michael Jackson’s life seemingly all but confirmed, enthusiasm surrounding Michael is likely to continue well beyond its current theatrical run.
An image from Michael – YouTube, Universal Pictures
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For now, the King of Pop is also king of the domestic box office in the genre. Whether Michael can ultimately surpass Bohemian Rhapsody’s international total remains uncertain. Even so, the film’s success is another reminder that strong audience enthusiasm for emotional, character-driven stories can outweigh critical reception when moviegoers connect with the experience.
What do you think of Michael’s record-breaking box office performance? Let us know in the comments!
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