Jaafar Jackson Drives Michael Jackson Biopic Streaming Release to June 9
Michael Jackson biopic streaming release arrives on Tuesday, June 9, as Michael moves to premium video on demand after its theatrical run. The film starring Jaafar Jackson will sell for $24.99 and rent for $19.99, giving home viewers a first chance to watch it outside theaters.
Jaafar Jackson on June 9
Jaafar Jackson plays Michael Jackson in a film that began in theaters on April 24 and has kept adding to its box office total. By Thursday, Michael had reached nearly $346.6 million domestically, $514.1 million internationally and $860.7 million worldwide, numbers that put it within range of the current music-biopic record holder.
Lionsgate will make the film available on Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Prime Video and YouTube Movies & TV. That spread matters for a title still playing in cinemas, because it gives the film a paid home window while its theatrical run is still generating revenue.
Michael at $860.7 million
Michael finished in the domestic top five in its first six weeks and hit No. 1 in two weekends, then came in at No. 4 for the May 29-31 North American box office with nearly $12 million in ticket sales. It added another $6 million from Monday through Friday that week, bringing the weeklong total to almost $18 million.
The film is rated PG-13 and covers Michael Jackson from age 10 through the release of Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad, ending in 1988 as he begins the Bad concert tour. Colman Domingo and Nia Long play Joe and Katherine Jackson, while Miles Teller portrays longtime manager John Branca.
Bohemian Rhapsody at $911 million
The comparison line is clear: Bohemian Rhapsody holds the all-time box office record for a music biopic at $911 million worldwide, after winning four Oscars at the 2019 Academy Awards. Rami Malek won Best Actor and Graham King was nominated for Best Picture on that film, and King also produced Michael.
Michael has not yet opened in Japan, which leaves room for its total to move higher before the global record conversation is settled. For now, the practical takeaway is simple: viewers who missed the theatrical run can buy it for $24.99 or rent it for $19.99 on Tuesday, June 9, and the film is already close enough to the benchmark to keep the box office race alive.
