Michael Becomes Highest-Grossing Music Biopic in History
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- Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring the late singer's nephew Jaafar Jackson, grossed $911.9 million worldwide in under two months, surpassing 2018's Bohemian Rhapsody as the highest-grossing music biopic ever — both films were produced by Graham King.
- Michael also set the record for the largest global opening weekend ever for a music biopic, per Deadline.
- Michael is the second-highest-grossing film of 2026 so far, trailing only Universal, Illumination, and Nintendo's The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and ranks as the second-highest-grossing biopic in history behind Christopher Nolan's 2025 film Oppenheimer.
- Michael was approved by the Jackson estate and originally slated for 2025, but was delayed by a clause in a settlement with Jordan Chandler — who accused Jackson of sexual abuse in 1993 — that forbade any depiction of him in a future film.
- The film's original ending reportedly focused on Chandler's allegations; rewriting and reshooting a new third act, which follows Jackson preparing for his Bad tour, cost between $10 million and $15 million.
Why it matters: The $911.9 million haul in under two months cements Michael as a commercial benchmark for music biopics, while the $10–15 million reshoot to excise the original ending about Chandler's allegations shows how a 1993 settlement clause — not just creative judgment — dictated the final third act that audiences saw.
