"Michael" vs. "Bohemian Rhapsody": Reviews, Box Office and Oscars
The film opened with $217 million worldwide and $97 million domestically, despite a 38% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.
- The Michael Jackson biopic Michael grossed $217 million globally on its opening weekend, setting a new record for a music biopic. Directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson, the film earned $97 million domestically, surpassing the 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton.
- Critics gave the film a 38 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences awarded it a 97 percent 'Fresh' rating. Reviewers claimed the film 'whitewashed' Jackson's legacy by ending its story in 1988, years before multiple child sexual abuse allegations emerged.
- The opening performance exceeds the $124 million global debut of the 2018 Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, both films produced by Graham King. Critic Clarisse Loughrey wrote the film 'resists story in favor of content,' prioritizing fan expectations over artistic exploration.
- On IMDb, the film has an aggregate rating of 7.6 out of 10, suggesting warm public reception despite potential 'review bombing' manipulation. Other audience platforms corroborate this positive response from general audiences.
- Predictions indicate Jackson could earn a Best Actor nomination for the 99th Academy Awards, with nominations announced Thursday, January 21, 2027. However, music biopics have yielded mixed results for Best Picture recognition.
22 Articles
22 Articles
Many critics are not enthusiastic about "Michael". However, the audience of the film over the first years of Michael Jackson's career is quite different - and gives the film a record start.
The biopic about the King of Pop breaks records, but is rejected by critics. Compared to "Bohemian Rhapsody" it is much weaker.
Michael flies to the box office in the US and Europe: Antoine Fuqua's biopic on Michael Jackson marks the best debut ever for a musical biopic in front of Bohemian Rhapsody in 2018 on Queens. (ANSA)
The film has already grossed a couple hundred million dollars at the box office, even though it's only been a few days since the premiere.
In its first weekend of release, it surpassed the highest-grossing biopics such as the musical Bohemian Rhapsody and Oppenheimer.
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