Michael Jackson Biopic: $217 Million in Its First Weekend, 38% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Every Controversy You Need to Know

On the weekend of April 24–27, 2026, something happened in multiplexes across the world that no one had predicted quite this confidently: people showed up. Not a few people. Not a good-opening-weekend-for-a-biopic level of people. A record-obliterating, all-other-biopics-made-to-look-small number of people.

Michael earned $97 million domestically and $217 million globally in its first weekend of release. These ticket sales rank as the best start of all time for a biopic, smashing the record set by 2015's Straight Outta Compton ($60 million). They tower above 2018's Bohemian Rhapsody, which opened to $51 million before obliterating expectations with $910 million worldwide by the end of its run.

And it did all of this with a 38% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. Bad reviews. Record box office. That tension is the Michael story in miniature.

Also Read: Adolescence Is Still the Most Important Show on Netflix — And Everything Else This Week Is Catching Up

Who Is in It and Who Made It

Director: Antoine Fuqua — best known for Training Day, The Equalizer, and Southpaw. A filmmaker known for kinetic energy and stylised visuals, but not especially known for introspective, complex human stories. That mismatch may explain some of what critics objected to.

Jaafar Jackson as Michael: Jaafar Jackson, the singer's real-life nephew, portrays Michael Jackson in his acting debut, with Colman Domingo and Nia Long as parents Joe and Katherine. Jaafar is the son of Jermaine Jackson. He is not a trained actor. He is, however, by every account in this film, extraordinary. The physical resemblance to his uncle is remarkable. The movement — the footwork, the hand gestures, the specific way Michael Jackson occupied physical space — Jaafar has absorbed it at what must be a cellular level.

While Jaafar Jackson's smooth moves bring the King of Pop to uncanny life, this musical biopic mostly plays like a "greatest hits" album that could've benefitted from including liner notes to give actual insight into the icon.

Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson: This is a performance getting lost in the controversy conversation, but it deserves attention. Domingo plays Joe Jackson — Michael's famously abusive, controlling, complicated father — with real depth. The scenes between young Michael and Joe in the film are, by most accounts, its most honest.

Also Read: Warner Bros. Discovery Shareholders Approve Paramount's 10 Billion Takeover — Hollywood Just Changed Forever

What the Film Covers — and What It Doesn't

Michael premiered at the Uber Eats Music Hall in Berlin on April 10, 2026, and was released on April 22 in the UK and April 24 in the US. The film traces Jackson's journey from the Jackson 5 to his superstardom in the 1980s, covering his upbringing and rise to fame.

The King of Pop biopic follows the journey from the early days of the Jackson 5 to becoming one of the biggest entertainers in the world. The film ends in 1988, around the era of the Bad world tour. That's the key boundary: the film ends at the height of Michael's artistic peak, well before the child sexual abuse allegations that first emerged in 1993.

Initially, the screenplay had dramatised a 1993 child molestation lawsuit against Jackson. But those sequences had to be removed after producers discovered a clause in the settlement with the young accuser that barred the depiction or mention of him in film or television. After a major overhaul of the third act, the film ends during the Bad tour in 1988.

This is where the film becomes genuinely complicated. The legal reason for the excision is understandable — you cannot depict a sealed settlement's central figure. But the effect is a film that presents the Michael Jackson story as if the second half of his life, and the most contested part of his legacy, simply didn't happen.

What The Critics Are Saying

The critical response has been blunt. The BBC described the film as "bland and barely competent," in a one-star review, while the Wall Street Journal wrote that Michael deals with Jackson being "a horrible human being" by "ignoring it."

Paris Jackson posted a video on her Instagram Story in which she said the film is filled with inaccuracies and that "the film panders to a very specific section of my dad's fandom that still lives in the fantasy. It's not real, but it's sold to you as real." Paris is Michael's biological daughter. Her involvement with the film was zero — despite Colman Domingo apparently telling a magazine she had been "helpful." Paris was clear: "Don't be telling people I was 'helpful' on the set of a movie I had 0% involvement in."

Michael Jackson's siblings Janet, Randy and Rebbie do not appear in the film; according to La Toya, Janet "kindly declined" to be included.

The consensus critical verdict: brilliant central performance in an otherwise celebration-focused, structurally shallow film. Rotten Tomatoes' critics score of 38% places it below Bohemian Rhapsody (60%), but audience reviews tell a different story entirely — audiences gave it an "A-" grade on CinemaScore exit polls, a mark that bodes well for box office longevity.

Also Read: Fenty Beauty Ki Haveli: The Most Indian Thing a Global Brand Has Ever Named an Event

Why Audiences Showed Up Anyway

The gap between critical reception and commercial performance is one of cinema's recurring phenomena. Cinema-goers opted to watch the thrilling recreations of iconic performances — Billie Jean, Thriller, and Beat It — on the biggest and brightest screens. IMAX alone accounted for 3.8 million, or roughly 14% of North American ticket sales.

"Movie theaters are perfect for music-centric films, with incredible sound systems offering up an experience that simply cannot be replicated at home," said senior Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian. "Enjoying the film with other Michael Jackson fans only added to the energy and excitement that made 'Michael' truly a must-see event on the big screen this weekend."

Michael Jackson had one of the most globally loyal fanbases in entertainment history. His reach into India is profound — Thriller was among the first Western videos many Indian audiences had access to via Doordarshan-era pirated tapes. His concerts in India in 1996 drew massive crowds. The nostalgia pull is real and deep.

The Budget, the Controversy, the Sequel

Michael carries a price tag near $200 million, making it one of the most expensive biopics of all time. Those costs were split by Lionsgate, Universal (which is distributing internationally) and the Michael Jackson estate.

Lionsgate is expected to greenlight at least one more film about Jackson's life. If ticket sales surpass $700 million worldwide, as expected, Michael will land among the studio's biggest films of all time. A second film, covering the years 1988 onward — including the allegations, the trials, the Neverland era, and ultimately his death in 2009 — would be the film critics want and fans may resist. That's a more commercially dangerous, creatively richer proposition.

Lionsgate's chairman Adam Fogelson said Lionsgate was "not ready yet to confirm plans for a second film" but was "making sure that we're in a position to deliver more Michael soon after we release the first film."

FAQs

Q1. What is the Michael Jackson biopic about? The film covers Michael Jackson's life from his childhood with the Jackson 5 to his rise as the King of Pop, ending around the 1988 Bad World Tour. It does not cover the child sexual abuse allegations that emerged from 1993 onward.

Q2. Who plays Michael Jackson in the biopic? Jaafar Jackson, Michael's real-life nephew and son of Jermaine Jackson, makes his acting debut in the title role. Colman Domingo plays Joe Jackson and Nia Long plays Katherine Jackson.

Q3. How much has Michael earned at the box office? As of April 26, 2026, Michael has grossed $97 million in the United States and Canada, and 20 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $217 million.

Q4. Why doesn't the film cover the abuse allegations? A clause in the 1993 settlement with an accuser legally barred the depiction or mention of that individual in film or television. This forced a major rewrite of the third act, resulting in the film ending in 1988.

Q5. Is a sequel planned? Lionsgate has strongly hinted at a sequel covering the remainder of Jackson's life. The studio says it is "in a position to deliver more Michael soon." A greenlight decision is expected once opening weekend figures are fully assessed.