Michael Jackson Movie Biopic Tops $200 Million With Fuqua
The michael jackson movie biopic has taken in more than $200 million at the box office and set the biggest opening weekend ever for a biopic. That puts Antoine Fuqua’s film in rare commercial territory, even with a Rotten Tomatoes critics’ score of 38% and an audience score of 97%.
Fuqua’s $200 Million Finish
The long-delayed film surpassed 2023’s Oppenheimer for the biggest opening weekend ever for a biopic, a mark that gives the project instant leverage in a crowded awards-season and franchise-driven marketplace. Michael Jackson’s name still moves tickets at scale, and this opening shows the audience for a legacy music story can be much larger than the critical response suggests.
Colman Domingo plays Joe Jackson, while Juliano Valdi plays 10-year-old Michael in a film that opens with the chords of Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'. The movie also tracks Michael Jackson’s childhood origin story and early days with The Jackson 5, keeping the focus on the ascent rather than the full scope of his career.
38% Critics, 97% Audience
Peter Bradshaw called the film “bland, bowdlerised and bad” and “frustratingly shallow,” which helps explain the sharp gap between professional reaction and audience response. The numbers are not close: 38% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics against 97% from viewers.
Janet Jackson did not participate in the production and is left out as a character, a choice that narrows the family portrait and helped harden some skepticism before release. Belize said, “I was on the fence about it, and what really made me skeptical was when I heard Janet isn't featured in it because I know they were very close,” showing how that omission shaped at least some moviegoers’ decisions before they bought a ticket.
Regal Union Square Line
Joanne arrived at the Regal Union Square movie theater in New York City on Wednesday evening and said, “I grew up listening to him and my dad was the main fan” and “We have all of his CDs, pictures, books and vinyls.” She later returned for a second viewing, saying, “I had to come see it again, because I thought it was amazing” and “I think it's put together nicely as a starter for fans to get into him.”
Melanie added a practical reason for the turnout in the theater line, saying, “I haven't really been going to the movies since the pandemic, but I came to see this one because of the hype around it and I'm a big Michael fan.” On Wednesday evening, revelers were also seen dancing in the aisles, the kind of audience behavior that usually follows a movie already operating as an event rather than a routine release.
For the studio, the takeaway is straightforward: the film’s audience base is strong enough to outweigh a critical backlash and drive a record biopic opening past the $200 million mark. For viewers deciding whether to go, the divide is part of the selling point now — a film people are arguing about, not ignoring.
