Michael Jackson biopic achieves record-breaking box office despite critical controversy

The Michael Jackson biopic, titled ‘Michael’, has opened to remarkable success, grossing $97 million domestically and $217 million worldwide during its first weekend, setting a new benchmark for music biopics. This surpasses the previous record held by the 2015 N.W.A. biopic ‘Straight Outta Compton’, which earned $60 million domestically, and also exceeds ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, the 2018 Queen film, which opened to $51 million but ultimately made $910 million globally. Comparatively, other notable music biopics such as ‘Elvis’, ‘Rocketman’, ‘Walk the Line’, and ‘Ray’ earned significantly less during their opening weekends. Despite its commercial success, the film has faced criticism for allegedly whitewashing Jackson’s legacy by concluding its story in 1988, prior to allegations of child sexual abuse. Critics have been largely negative, with Rotten Tomatoes reporting a 38 percent critic score. However, public reception has been overwhelmingly positive, reflected in a 97 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes and favourable scores on IMDB and Letterboxd. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, ‘Michael’ has sparked debate between critical reviewers and general audiences, highlighting the disparity between professional critique and fan enjoyment.