Michael Jackson biopic breaks records at the box office despite mixed reviews

The new Michael Jackson biopic, simply titled 'Michael,' is making waves far beyond the music world - it just delivered the biggest domestic opening ever for a music biopic, pulling in $97 million in the U.S. over its first weekend and $219 million globally, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The numbers easily outpaced expectations and even dethroned 'Oppenheimer' from the top spot in some markets, marking a major win for Universal Pictures and director Antoine Fuqua.

In the U.K. and Ireland, the film opened at No. 1 with £11.6 million ($15.6 million), one of the strongest debuts of the year in the region, Comscore data shows. Fans filled theaters to revisit the life of the pop icon, whose influence in the 1980s reached a level of global fame that few artists have matched since. The film traces Jackson's journey from child star to international phenomenon, leaning heavily on his music, performances, and cultural impact.

Yet the reception hasn't been universal. Critics have been sharply split, with some praising the film's energy and visuals while others question its handling of Jackson's complex personal life and legal controversies. Still, audiences appear less concerned with critical consensus and more drawn to the music, nostalgia, and spectacle. The disconnect between reviews and box office performance has sparked broader conversation about who gets to define a film's success.

On the right, outlets like the Washington Examiner and Breitbart have framed the film's triumph as a cultural pushback. The Washington Examiner highlighted Jackson's era as a time of 'earned greatness,' suggesting today's culture struggles to produce icons of his magnitude. Breitbart went further, calling the box office result a humiliation for 'woke critics' who dismissed the film early.

That narrative - of mainstream audiences rejecting elite opinion - isn't new, but it's gaining traction around 'Michael.' The film's success taps into deeper currents about legacy, memory, and how society reckons with complicated figures. Jackson remains a polarizing subject, but the sheer scale of the film's opening suggests many are willing to separate the art from the artist - or at least engage with both on their own terms.

Universal, for its part, is riding the momentum. With strong international numbers and ongoing buzz, 'Michael' could become one of the year's most profitable releases. The studio also held second place at the U.K. box office with another release, underscoring its dominant weekend.

Whether the film sustains its momentum in the coming weeks will depend on word of mouth and how audiences continue to process its portrayal of Jackson. For now, though, the message from theaters is clear: the King of Pop still commands a kingdom.