The biopic Michael has officially become the highest-grossing music biopic in history, surpassing the 2018 Queen film Bohemian Rhapsody. According to figures confirmed by Lionsgate to Rolling Stone, Michael has grossed $911.9 million globally. The film earned $358 million domestically and $553 million internationally, excluding the most recent weekend’s receipts. In comparison, Bohemian Rhapsody grossed $910 million worldwide during its theatrical run. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Michael depicts the artist’s early years with the Jackson 5 through his 1988 Bad tour. Despite receiving negative reviews from critics and facing backlash for its decision not to address the child sexual abuse allegations involving Jackson’s later years, the film has been a commercial success. The production was troubled, including a revelation that filmmakers were legally barred from portraying the allegations brought by accuser Jordan Chandler. This legal restriction resulted in the entire third act being reshot and delayed the film’s release by nearly a year. The film’s release has triggered a significant surge in interest regarding Jackson’s music catalog. According to Billboard, Jackson’s solo work reached a career-best 137.5 million official on-demand streams during the opening week of April 24-30 in the United States, a 146 percent increase from his previous career high. Also, music from his time with the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons saw an upward swing, generating 10.1 million streams during that same week, up 135 percent from the prior week. The album Thriller also rose to Number Seven on the Billboard 200. The commercial success of the biopic represents a major victory for the Jackson estate, which navigated a difficult production process to bring the film to theaters.