‘Michael’ becomes first biopic to surpass $1b at global box office

LOS ANGELES: Michael, the biographical film chronicling the life of the late “King of Pop” Michael Jackson, has become the first biographical film in history to surpass $1 billion at the global box office, setting a new benchmark for the genre.

Released in April, the film crossed the milestone in just 12 weeks, earning $1.001 billion worldwide, including $371.8 million in North America and $629.8 million from international markets.

The film has now overtaken Oppenheimer as the highest-grossing biopic of all time and surpassed Bohemian Rhapsody to become the highest-grossing musical biopic ever.

Starring Jaafar Jackson, the late singer’s nephew, the film traces Michael Jackson’s childhood, rise to global superstardom and transformation into one of the world’s most influential entertainers.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the movie opened with $97 million in North America and $217 million globally, setting a record for the biggest opening weekend for a musical biopic.

The milestone also marks a historic achievement for Lionsgate, with Michael becoming the studio’s first film to exceed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales.

 Industry reports say the film’s success has prompted discussions about developing a follow-up project exploring additional chapters of Michael Jackson’s life.