Michael Jackson’s Biopic Scores $700 Million At Box Office
Mixed reviews fail to slow the King of Pop’s popularity, but note controversial omissions
LOS ANGELES — New film “Michael” has crossed a $700 million worldwide mark at the box office as of May 21. It delivered $400 million globally the first weekend of May, making it one of the most profitable films in history.
Based on the late musician Michael Jackson, known as “The King of Pop,” the biopic showcases the highlights of his career, such as the songs “Thriller,” “Beat It!” and “Don’t Stop ‘til You Get Enough.” The work only covers his life and work until 1988, carefully omitting the sexual-abuse accusations.
The musical drama was released on April 24, when it grossed $217 million worldwide and $97 million domestically. The film made $54 million in the U.S. the first weekend of May, though audiences were more thrilled than critics.
Jaafar Jackson performing as his uncle Michael Jackson in the new film “Michael”. The late singer was known as “The King of Pop”. (LIONSGATE /EPK TV)
Despite the mixed reviews, “Michael” outperformed other box-office hits, such as “Straight Outta Compton” (2015), a biopic about hip-hop group N.W.A, and “Oppenheimer” (2023), though comparing celebrity bios to serious historical dramas is tricky.
Jaafar Jackson, the nephew of the “King of Pop” and son of Jermaine Jackson, plays his uncle. “Michael” focuses on the first stages of the late singer’s career.
Also featured are Nia Long (Boyz n the Hood”), Miles Teller (“Top Gun: Maverick”) and Mike Myers ( “Austin Powers”), who portray essential characters in Jackson’s life and career.
The movie was directed by Antoine Fuqua ( “Training Day”) and produced by Graham King, John Branca and John McClain. Lionsgate served as the distributor.
Rotten Tomatoes metrics was at 39%. Critics took heavy aim at the film.
“‘Michael’ is bland, lionizing and lacks any insight into the life of Michael Jackson,” said Rob Dean of on Rotten Tomatoes who gave it a 1 out of 5 stars. “It fails at basically every aspect of being a biopic.”
While some critics on Rotten Tomatoes had written positive reviews, most criticize its accuracy.
“Jafaar does not disappoint and fans of Michael will enjoy this nice highlights reel of the early years,” said Paul Salfen of AMFM Magazine on Rotten Tomatoes. “It does serve as a great reminder of what Jackson did accomplish despite his hard upbringing.”
The release of “Michael” comes after Jackson was mentioned in the Epstein files. Jackson did visit the disgraced financier’s Palm Beach home, but no evidence was found of any wrongdoing.
However, charges against Michael Jackson as a child sex abuser and pedophile are on record. Not mentioned in the film are the allegations involving a 13-year-old boy named Jordan Chandler. His case was settled out of court in 1993 for a reported $25 million. The 2019 documentary “Leaving Neverland” featured Wade Robson and James Safechuck offering detailed accounts of sexual abuse by Jackson. In March, four adult siblings filed a lawsuit against the singer’s estate, claiming they were abused as minors.
“The movie itself becomes a tale of triumph and glory for someone everyone admired, rather than an estate’s attempt to scrub clean the life story of a star who has been multiply accused, in harrowing terms, of child sexual abuse,” wrote Alissa Wilkinson in The New York Times.
The film, produced with the cooperation of Michael Jackson’s estate, is available in theaters worldwide.