'Michael' reaches new height with box office success

Michael, the biopic about music legend Michael Jackson, has become the highest-grossing biopic of all time.

The Antoine Fuqua-directed film, which released in cinemas globally on April 24 this year, has earned $977.4 million worldwide, beating Oppenheimer, which made $975.8 million at the global box office.

The film, released by Lionsgate, stars Michael Jackson's nephew, Jafar Jackson, in the lead role.

Over the past weekend alone, Michael added another $9.2 million to its worldwide total.

The film is now expected to cross the $1 billion mark, which would make it only the second movie of 2026 to reach the milestone after Super Mario Galaxy.

The record is even more notable because Michael reached it after spending just 46 days in cinemas.

By comparison, Oppenheimer stayed in theatres for more than six months before it arrived on the streaming service Peacock.

Michael has also moved ahead of Bohemian Rhapsody, which earned $911 million worldwide.

The film's box office success comes despite controversy surrounding the project, with many fans calling it "the ultimate love letter to fans."