Jaafar Jackson’s Michael Hits $600 Million In Just Three Weeks: Can It Top Bohemian Rhapsody Next?

The musical biopic Michael, produced by Graham King, continues to shine impressively at the global box office. Just 23 days after its release on April 24, the film has emerged as one of the year's biggest theatrical successes. In only three weeks, the film has crossed the $600 million milestone worldwide, and all eyes are now on whether it can surpass Bohemian Rhapsody.

Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua and featuring Jaafar Jackson, reflects on the life and legacy of pop icon Michael Jackson. Even though the film received a mixed critical response, the biopic has still attracted large audiences globally.

Michael ruling theatres worldwide

During its opening weekend at the global box office, the film earned approximately $97.2 million domestically. Now, within just three weeks, Michael has officially crossed $604 million worldwide, with North America contributing nearly $250 million and international territories adding another $353.8 million.

The movie is expected to earn more than $20 million in its upcoming frame, further strengthening its already dominant run.

The performance Michael has shown in theatres has naturally sparked comparisons with Bohemian Rhapsody, the Oscar-winning Queen biopic directed by Bryan Singer. It had already surpassed the box office gross of Elvis, directed by Baz Luhrmann and centred on Elvis Presley, which earned $288 million worldwide within a month.

Can Michael break the record of Bohemian Rhapsody?

Also produced by Graham King, Bohemian Rhapsody remains the highest-grossing music biopic of all time, with a worldwide haul of $910.8 million. Although Michael still has quite a distance to cover before challenging that record, its current earnings have left fans wondering whether it could eventually close the gap or even surpass Bohemian Rhapsody's record.

Whether Michael will manage to challenge Bohemian Rhapsody's historic box office record remains uncertain. However, one thing is already clear: the film has proved itself to be a major crowd-puller and one of the defining theatrical successes of the year.

Audience love has overshadowed critics for Michael

Michael has faced criticism for offering what many critics described as a surface-level portrayal of Jackson's controversial and complicated life. The movie currently holds a 39% score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, audiences have embraced the film passionately, with the Popcorn Meter audience score reaching an impressive 97%.

Indian audience reaction to Michael

The film's performance in India has been comparatively modest. According to reports by Sacnilk, Michael slowed down considerably on Day 23, collecting only ₹0.02 crore net from 83 shows across the country. Currently, the film's total earnings in India stand at ₹56.84 crore net and ₹67.98 crore gross.

In the Indian market, those numbers may not classify the film as a blockbuster, but they still represent a respectable total for an international musical biopic.