---
title: "Michael Jackson Biopic Passes Oppenheimer as Highest-Grossing Biopic Ever"
description: "'Michael,' Antoine Fuqua's Michael Jackson biopic starring the late star's nephew Jaafar Jackson, has crossed $977 million worldwide, narrowly overtaking 'Oppenheimer' to become the highest-grossing biopic of all time."
category: "Entertainment"
category_url: https://herald.la/category/entertainment
author: "Simone Bishop"
published: 2026-06-29T03:38:36.000Z
updated: 2026-06-29T03:38:36.000Z
canonical: https://herald.la/article/michael-jackson-biopic-passes-oppenheimer-as-highest-grossing-biopic-ever
tags: ["Michael Jackson", "box office", "biopic", "Antoine Fuqua", "Jaafar Jackson", "Oppenheimer"]
---
# Michael Jackson Biopic Passes Oppenheimer as Highest-Grossing Biopic Ever

'Michael,' Antoine Fuqua's Michael Jackson biopic starring the late star's nephew Jaafar Jackson, has crossed $977 million worldwide, narrowly overtaking 'Oppenheimer' to become the highest-grossing biopic of all time.

The King of Pop is now the king of the biopic box office, too.

## A new record

*Michael*, the long-gestating Michael Jackson biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua, has grossed about $977.4 million worldwide, edging past Christopher Nolan's *Oppenheimer* — which finished its run at roughly $975.8 million — to become the highest-grossing biopic in history, [Deadline reported](https://deadline.com/2026/06/box-office-michael-oppenheimer-1236969255/). The margin is thin, around $1.6 million, but with the film still playing in some markets it is expected to widen.

The picture has earned about $370.2 million domestically and $607.2 million internationally, [according to Variety](https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/michael-box-office-record-surpasses-oppenheimer-1236797787/), a reflection of the global pull of the Jackson name. Jaafar Jackson, the late singer's nephew, plays the title role — a casting choice that drew heavy scrutiny well before release but has plainly not kept audiences away.

## Two crowns

*Michael* had already become the highest-grossing music biopic ever, passing 2018's *Bohemian Rhapsody* and its roughly $911 million worldwide haul, [TheWrap noted](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/michael-jackson-bioipic-beats-oppenheimer-box-office-record/). Now it holds both records — biggest music biopic and biggest biopic, period.

What makes the milestone notable is the pace. *Oppenheimer* built its total over a long theatrical run; *Michael* reached the mark by its tenth weekend on a much shorter window before moving toward home viewing. Front-loaded or not, the result is the same line in the record book.

## What's next

With the film still in theaters in several territories, *Michael* is within range of a milestone no biopic has ever reached: $1 billion worldwide. Whether it gets there will depend on how long it holds in remaining markets. Either way, a genre long associated with awards prestige rather than blockbuster grosses has a new commercial high-water mark — and, fittingly, it belongs to one of the most famous entertainers who ever lived.

## Sources

- [Box Office: 'Michael' Beats 'Oppenheimer,' Becomes Highest-Grossing Biopic](https://deadline.com/2026/06/box-office-michael-oppenheimer-1236969255/)
- ['Michael' Box Office Surpasses 'Oppenheimer' as Highest-Grossing Biopic](https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/michael-box-office-record-surpasses-oppenheimer-1236797787/)
- ['Michael' Passes 'Oppenheimer' as Biggest Biopic of All Time With $977.4 Million Box Office](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/michael-jackson-bioipic-beats-oppenheimer-box-office-record/)