The recently released Michael Jackson movie has overtaken Oppenheimer as the highest-grossing biopic of all time, after taking $977m at the worldwide box office, the BBC reports.
Michael was already the biggest ever musical biopic, having leapfrogged 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody – about the band Queen.
But it has now also surpassed director Christopher Nolan’s 2023 film about the American theoretical physicist J Robert Oppenheimer, which previously held the box office record for any film based on a real-life figure.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Michael tells the story of the late US singer’s journey from being a child star in family group the Jackson 5, to becoming the solo King of Pop.
Jaafar Jackson, the singer’s real-life nephew, plays the titular role, with Colman Domingo and Nia Long portraying his parents.
On its release in April, Michael took $217m globally in its first week, overtaking previous music biopics including 2015’s NWA film Straight Outta Compton and 2018’s Queen film Bohemian Rhapsody.
It is also now Liongsgate Studios’ most successful movie, ahead of 2013’s The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
