The #1 opening for music biopics of all time! Coming to Korean theaters on May 13.
Distributor Universal Pictures announced on the 4th that “‘Michael’ (directed by Antoine Fuqua) has surpassed $423.92 million (approximately 623.5 billion won) in global box office revenue within just 10 days of its release.” This marks the highest opening record for a music biopic, surpassing the record set by ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (directed by Bryan Singer) in 2018.
‘Michael’ captures the journey of Michael Jackson, a born musical genius who stunned the world, as he became the ‘King of Pop’ through legendary music and electrifying performances. The film has garnered significant attention with Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s actual nephew, taking on the lead role.
Since its North American release on April 24, ‘Michael’ has received critical acclaim, recording a 97% Popcorn index on Rotten Tomatoes and an A- grade from CinemaScore. It earned $97 million (approximately 143.3466 billion won) in North America alone during its opening weekend and has hit #1 at the box office in 65 countries, including North America, the UK, France, and Germany.
Notably, it even surpassed ‘Oppenheimer’ (directed by Christopher Nolan), which previously held the record for the highest North American opening among non-musical biopics, showcasing the symbolic power and uniqueness of Michael Jackson. Among 2026 releases, it holds the second-highest opening figure, following ‘Super Mario Galaxy’ (directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic).
As ‘Michael’ continues to outperform ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’s’ records from the same period, it is expected to break yet another music biopic record within this week.
‘Michael’ will be released in Korea on May 13.
