'Michael' Biopic Becomes Top-Grossing Music Film Worldwide, Surpassing 'Bohemian Rhapsody'
The Michael Jackson biopic, "Michael," has emerged as the highest-grossing musician biopic of all time, achieving $932.2 million in worldwide box office revenue as of Sunday, June 14. This figure places it ahead of the Freddie Mercury biopic, "Bohemian Rhapsody," which grossed $911 million globally. While a leading music film, "Michael" still trails "Oppenheimer" in the broader biopic category.
The Michael Jackson biopic, "Michael," has surpassed "Bohemian Rhapsody" to become the top-grossing musician biopic worldwide. As of Sunday, June 14, "Michael" recorded a global box office total of $932.2 million, exceeding "Bohemian Rhapsody's" $911 million.
Despite its success in the music biopic genre, "Michael" has yet to become the highest-grossing biopic overall. Christopher Nolan's 2023 film "Oppenheimer," which tells the story of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, currently holds that distinction with $975.8 million worldwide.
International ticket sales significantly contributed to "Michael's" earnings, accounting for 61.1% of its total worldwide box office. The remaining revenue came from the U.S. and Canada. In comparison, "Bohemian Rhapsody" saw a larger portion of its success from international markets, with 76.2% of its worldwide total attributed to sales outside the U.S. and Canada.
Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury, the subjects of these biopics, shared several commonalities. Both artists rose to fame with groups, The Jackson 5 and Queen, respectively, and are widely recognized as iconic showmen. Tragically, both died prematurely; Mercury in 1991 at age 45 due to complications from AIDS, and Jackson in 2009 at age 50 from cardiac arrest caused by acute propofol intoxication.
Their paths crossed in the early 1980s, with Jackson attending Queen concerts and the two occasionally dining together. They also recorded three unfinished demo tracks. Both artists have also inspired successful theatrical productions, with Queen's musical "We Will Rock You" opening in London's West End in 2002, and "MJ: The Musical" becoming a fixture on Broadway since December 6, 2021.
Graham King co-produced "Michael" alongside longtime Jackson associates John Branca and John McClain. King also co-produced "Bohemian Rhapsody" and another music biopic, "Jersey Boys," which chronicles the story of the Four Seasons.
The list of top-grossing musician biopics explicitly excludes films about real-life music personalities who are not widely known as music stars in their own right. Examples of excluded films include "The Sound of Music," "Green Book," "Florence Foster Jenkins," and "Music of the Heart."
According to Billboard, the list includes the 25 highest-grossing biopics of music stars based on worldwide box office figures.
