Michael Jackson biopic shatters box office record for biopics with $217M global debut

Farah Khan Backs Michael Jackson Biopic Amid Negative Reviews, Record-Breaking Box Office

Bollywood filmmaker Farah Khan has thrown her weight behind the new Michael Jackson biopic “Michael,” calling on the Academy to award lead actor Jaafar Jackson an Oscar — even as critics have panned the film. The endorsement comes as the movie shattered box office records in its opening weekend, earning an estimated $217.4 million globally.

‘Critics Are Morons’

Khan took to Instagram on Saturday, sharing a throwback photograph of herself with the late King of Pop and writing, “Point to be noted… Critics are morons in every country! Go watch MICHAEL!! And someone please give @jaafarjackson the Oscar next year!” She later added on her Instagram Story, “This film is for us fans and not for the critics. Loved Michael.”ndtv

The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, premiered worldwide on April 24. It stars Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s nephew, alongside Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, and Miles Teller. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film held a critics score of just 32 percent before release, though audiences responded far more warmly, posting a 96 percent audience score — the highest ever for a biopic on the platform, according to Forbes.thenewsmill

Box Office Records Fall

Despite the critical reception, audiences turned out in force. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Lionsgate-distributed film earned $97 million domestically and $120.4 million overseas in its opening weekend, setting a new all-time record for a biopic. Variety reported the domestic haul topped the previous record held by “Straight Outta Compton,” while the international total surpassed marks set by both “Oppenheimer” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.”wsj

In India, the film also performed well, collecting a net of approximately ₹5.50 crore in its first two days across more than 3,000 shows, making it the strongest opening for a musical biopic in the country.sacnilk

A Divided Legacy

Khan is not alone in defending the film. Veteran actor Anupam Kher also praised Jaafar Jackson’s performance, calling the experience of watching the biopic “magic.” Jackson family members, including TJ and Taj Jackson, rallied behind their cousin ahead of the release, with TJ writing on social media, “The world will be reminded or learn who MJ truly was.”people

Still, the gap between critical and audience reception has fueled debate. Some commenters on Khan’s post argued the film treats major events in Jackson’s life “like a grocery checklist” without meaningfully engaging with issues of race or the controversies that shadowed his career. Others pointed out that if Austin Butler did not win an Oscar for “Elvis,” the bar for Jaafar Jackson would be equally high.ndtv