Musical biopics have become commonplace in modern Hollywood, and one about Michael Jackson could become the most successful yet. Biopics centered around popular and iconic musicians have been around for a long time. Audiences love to listen to and learn more about their favorite artists, and these films often create opportunities for Oscars. 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody almost made $1 billion at the box office, leading to a wave of musical biopics, as studios searched for the next artist or band that could produce a profitable return.

Some of these biopics have flopped while others, like Rocketman, Elvis, and A Complete Unknown, managed to win over audiences and critics and produce a nice profit for the studio. Still, none have reached the box office heights of Bohemian Rhapsody, which also saw Rami Malek win an Oscar for Best Actor. However, that could change once Michael hits theaters. Despite his controversial history, Jackson is still the biggest pop star ever, and audiences could turn out in droves to hear his iconic music soar in a movie theater.

Queen Holds The Box Office Record For A Music Biopic With Bohemian Rhapsody

No Other Musician Has Come Close To Queen

Freddie Mercury’s legendary voice captivated audiences during the 1970s and 1980s and that translated to box office gold almost 30 years after his death. Bohemian Rhapsody centered around the formation of Queen during the 1970s and the creation of many of their most iconic songs, including the one single used for the тιтle. Malek shined as Mercury, capturing his eccentric personality and performing style, displaying it all in an amazing recreation of Queen’s 1985 Live Aid performance at Wembley Stadium.

The film won Oscar gold, but also dominated at the box office, grossing $910.8 million worldwide. It was the highest-grossing biopic, musical or not, for a while before being overthrown by Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer in 2023. When compared to other musical biopics, none have come close to touching the film’s record. Elvis is the second highest-grossing musical biopic with $288.7 million worldwide, followed by Straight Outta Compton at $201.6 million. No biopic has pᴀssed the billion-dollar mark, but Michael could be the first.

Michael Jackson’s Upcoming Biopic Has A Strong Case To Break Bohemian Rhapsody’s Record

Michael Could Become The King Of Musical Biopics

Jackson is one of the most successful musicians of all time. At the peak of his career, Jackson could simply stand on stage and send crowds into hysterics for several minutes. He started his career at six years old with The Jackson 5 and only continued to rise in popularity and fame. In his career, Jackson had 13 number-one hit songs, the most of any male artist, and the fourth most overall, behind Rihanna, Mariah Carey, and The Beatles. Thriller is still the best-selling album ever, selling over 70 million copies worldwide.

The final years of his career were riddled with scandal, but his music continues to be played today. He’s still wildly popular, and audiences will show up to see a film featuring Jackson’s music and a detailed look at his upbringing and career. Its international popularity will also give the film a boost at the worldwide box office, possibly getting it past Bohemian Rhapsody and the billion-dollar mark. While Mercury is a well-known figure, it’s rare to find anyone else who has a more global appeal than the “Beat It” singer.

Michael Jackson May Even Get 2 Chances To Beat Bohemian Rhapsody

Michael’s Biopic Could Be Released In Two Parts

Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua, was supposed to be released in October 2025, but Lionsgate recently moved the film into its fiscal 2027, meaning this movie won’t be released for a while. According to ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, there are a few reasons for the delay, including the film’s length and “contractual issues around the narrative of molestation accusations against the star in the early 1990s,” which led to legal disputes and reshoots. In a call after quarterly earnings, Lionsgate film chair Adam Fogelson confirmed that Jackson’s lengthy discography and biography may not fit into one film.

“At the end, when you look at the music library, when you look at what Michael Jackson was able to deliver in terms of music and contributions to art, whether or not that can be fit into one movie comfortably or not is a question that we are absolutely asking. We’ll be ready to answer more specifically in the coming weeks.”

Splitting Michael’s biopic into two parts could be beneficial since the pop singer has such a captivating story, both in music and in his personal life. It also gives Fuqua the chance to explore his career as a kid before he became a mega superstar as a solo artist Financially, it could lead to mᴀssive profits for Lionsgate as both films could push past Bohemian Rhapsody‘s record. As demonstrated by Wicked‘s success in 2024, splitting a film into two parts isn’t something that keeps audiences away, and could be a major benefit for Michael.

Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline