Michael Biopic Overtakes Bohemian Rhapsody as Top-Grossing Musician Film

The musician biopic has a new commercial benchmark. Lionsgate’s Michael – centred on Michael Jackson – has surpassed Bohemian Rhapsody to become the highest-grossing music biopic ever, with $911.9 million in global ticket sales. The Queen film had held the record since 2018 with a total of $910.9 million.

The figures, reported on June 12, show a domestic take of $358.6 million and $553.3 million internationally, $540.5 million of that handled by Universal after acquiring foreign rights. Producer Graham King, who also shepherded Bohemian Rhapsody, now stands behind both the former and current record holders.

The release’s commercial footprint extends deep into territories where musical biopics rarely dominate. France delivered the country’s all-time best result for the genre, eclipsing even La Môme. Brazil, Mexico, and 40 other markets have pushed past Bohemian Rhapsody’s lifetime totals. Domestically, Michael now tops the biopic charts for both opening weekend and total gross.

These numbers hardly need amplification, but they clarify the scale: the film ranks as Lionsgate’s highest-grossing theatrical release, the second-biggest global biopic ever (behind Oppenheimer), and the second-highest-grossing picture of 2026, trailing only The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The genre’s centre of gravity has shifted, and Jackson’s legacy – for all its complexity – has proven a formidable box-office engine.