The film about Michael Jackson, titled "Michael," has become the highest-grossing biographical film of all time, with $977 million collected worldwide.

The film about the King of Pop has already surpassed Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer," which previously held the record for films based on real people with $975 million worldwide, Variety reports. *"Michael"* had been heading for weeks to become the highest-grossing musical biopic after surpassing Queen's successful 2018 *"Bohemian Rhapsody,"* which generated $911 million worldwide and now ranks third.

The film about the "Thriller" author, distributed by Lionsgate in the United States and Universal in international markets, has grossed $607.2 million outside the U.S. and $370.2 million domestically. The film earned $97 million domestically and $217 million worldwide on its opening weekend, breaking the box office record for musical biopics set by 2015's "Straight Outta Compton" ($60 million).

Driven by word-of-mouth and multiple viewings, "Michael" remained a box office success during the competitive summer release season in the Northern Hemisphere, the specialized magazine notes.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, "Michael" chronicles the artist's trajectory from his participation in the group The Jackson 5 — composed of four of his brothers — to becoming the King of Pop. Jaafar Jackson, the singer's nephew, portrays Michael Jackson in his acting debut, with Colman Domingo and Nia Long as his parents, Joe and Katherine.

According to Variety, film critics have complained that "Michael" offers a sanitized view of Jackson's life by omitting the child sexual abuse accusations that were brought against the singer in the later stages of his career.

Among other records, "Michael" is now Lionsgate's highest-grossing film of all time, surpassing 2013's "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" ($865 million, not adjusted for inflation). The studio is expected to greenlight at least one more film about Jackson's life, the magazine adds.