Grace Vaccaro, Staff Writer
On April 24th, the Michael Jackson biopic, titled Michael, was released. It opened with large numbers at the box office — $97 million in the U.S and $219 million globally. These numbers set a record for the largest opening biopic in the United States, surpassing hits such as Oppenheimer and Bohemian Rhapsody.
This film focuses on the life of the famed musician, Michael Jackson. Jackson was dubbed the “King of Pop,” being one of the most influential icons of the 20th century. Jackson made his debut at the age of five in his family’s band, the Jackson 5. His solo career shot him to stardom with his record-breaking, award-winning album Thriller. Worldwide, he is one of the best-selling musicians of all time. A biopic focusing on his life was sure to be created to commemorate his life. He died in 2009 at the age of fifty.
Michael follows the life of Jackson from the 1960s to the 1980s. Jackson is portrayed by Jaafar Jackson, who is the nephew of Michael Jackson. This is Jaafar’s acting debut. Katherine Jackson, Michael Jackson’s mother, expressed her approval for the casting of Jaafar.
The movie began development in 2019, when the rights were secured to make the film. When the trailer was released in 2025, it became the most viewed musical biography and the largest trailer debut for Lionsgate. The large hype generated around the film highlights the global impact Michael Jackson made throughout his career.
Even with these record-breaking numbers, the reviews of the film seem to be mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes, 38% of critics’ reviews were positive. Many reviewers felt as if the movie was simply a montage of Jackson’s “greatest hits,” instead of showing them another side of Jackson they may have never seen before.
Jaafar Jackson has received compliments for his performance, one reviewer writing that he “nailed the look [and], the voice… that made Michael who he was.” The film’s recreation of concerts and music videos was done expertly, making them comparable to the millisecond to the originals.
One notable aspect that was not included in the film was the child sexual abuse allegations against Jackson. These allegations were in the original cut; however, due to a legal settlement, they needed to remove these scenes and reshoot the third act of the film. Doing so has made critics call this film “sanitized,” since it doesn’t cover the good and the bad in Jackson’s life. Critics and fans want to learn about every part of Jackson’s life — not just the success that was presented to the public.
The film ends with the words, “his story continues,” hinting at the possibility of a sequel. Adam Fogelson, chairman of Lionsgate, has stated that, depending on the reception of the first film, a sequel can be made to further highlight the later career and life of Jackson.
With it only being a couple of days since the film’s release, time will tell to see if the film continues to rise or begins to fall. No matter what the box office numbers may say, Jackson’s legacy and impact on the world continue to live on.
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