Michael Jackson Biopic Officially Breaks All-Time Rotten Tomatoes Record
By Published Apr 26, 2026, 4:26 PM EDT Jennifer is a TV and Movie News Editor at ScreenRant. She started her journey in entertainment media in 2026 when she first joined Valnet at CBR before coming to ScreenRant.
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The new movie, , already broke a Rotten Tomatoes record after opening the weekend.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, . It explores his complex personal life and his journey to stardom. From his early days in The Jackson 5 to his rise to fame, Michael showcases the titular singer's incredible career and the personal struggles that affected his life behind the scenes and in the public eye.
The film based on the life of the King of Pop, Jackson, is sitting at a 97% score at the time of this article's publication, making it the highest-rated musical biopic on the site. Its record-breaking score places Michael above some of the most popular biopics in recent years, surpassing critically acclaimed titles such as Rocketman and Elvis.
A lot of the early reviews praised , the titular singer's real-life nephew, who portrays him in the film. Critics have commented on his resemblance, as well as his ability to capture Jackson’s voice, movement, and stage presence. Some viewers were so impressed that they even stated that Michael would likely be a big contender during awards season next year.
Michael breaking a record on Rotten Tomatoes isn't the only major accomplishment by the cast and creative team of the film, all of whom were able to bounce back from several problems. The project suffered a decent number of setbacks during production. The biggest one is a settlement deal with one of Jackson's accusers, which was detected late into production. There was a clause in the contract that said the accuser could not be discussed in any way, shape or form in films about Jackson.
As a result, the creative team had to scrap most of the biopic's final act, including changing the ending. Since they had to remove so much, so they could film more scenes and extend existing ones. The movie was originally supposed to feature a scene of authorities showing up at Neverland Ranch to investigate, and the alternate ending showed the singer staring into a mirror while police sirens are blaring in the background.
Although this was a major inconvenience and cost a decent amount of money, it may have actually worked in the film's favor. Due to the legal setback, Michael ended up focusing more on the King of Pop's complicated personal life and career. This makes it stand out from several other projects about Jackson, as most of them heavily featured the controversies and allegations surrounding the singer. So, this new take is a refreshing one.
Michael is playing in theaters now.
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