On a recent Wednesday, Komari Patterson, 23, prepared to go out with friends. “We got dressed up very nicely, very expensively,” he said. But instead of heading to a costume party or a swanky soiree, the group drove to the movie theater to see “Michael,” the new biopic of Michael Jackson.
Patterson’s outfit was “very niche”: Captain EO, a character played by the singer in a sci-fi short film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. His three friends all went as other versions of Jackson, paying homage to his music videos or his turn as the Scarecrow in “The Wiz” movie. After “Michael” finished, Patterson and other attendees strutted and twirled while the credits rolled.
Similar clips of costumed moviegoers transforming theaters into discothèques spread across Instagram and TikTok as Jackson fans turned out in force to see parts of the star’s life re-enacted on the big screen. “Michael” earned around $218 million opening weekend, handily beating past music films and even general-interest biopics like “Oppenheimer.”
Many younger viewers, who were introduced to Jackson by their parents, treated “Michael” like their long-awaited chance to see the star perform. They flocked to the theater with friends and family in tow, comparing the festive, participatory atmosphere to the phenomenon around the 2023 megahit “Barbie,” which also spurred viewers to don costumes.
Jackson “passed away when I was so young,” said Myah Elliott, 24. She called his biopic, which she has already seen five times, “the concert that I never got.”
Taylor LaGrasta, 27, had tickets to a Jackson show when the star died in 2009. Watching “Michael” “is the closest I’ll ever get to seeing him perform live,” she said. She went to the theater with nine other family members—four dressed as the singer in the “Bad” era and the rest in Jackson T-shirts. The group made sure to scoop up tickets in the last row so they could dance freely without blocking anyone’s view.
The movie’s record-setting launch flew in the face of rough reviews and a new lawsuit accusing Jackson of being a “serial child predator.” In a statement, Marty Singer, an attorney for the star’s estate, called that suit a “desperate money grab.”
Members of the Jackson family, including Bigi Jackson, Prince Jackson, Jackie Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, and Marlon Jackson, attend the international premiere of “Michael,” the biopic about pop legend Michael Jackson, in Berlin, Germany, April 10, 2026. REUTERS/Nadja Wohlleben
Although many critics knocked “Michael” for clichéd storytelling and skating over any abuse allegations, Lionsgate, which is releasing the biopic in the U.S., emphasized its 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Word-of-mouth among moviegoers is driving the success of this film worldwide,” a spokesperson for Lionsgate said in a statement. “Seeing moviegoers dress up, sing, dance in the aisles, and fully lean into this as a cultural moment underscores this film as a true communal, big-screen theatrical and cinematic event.”
It’s become an event on music streaming services, too. Jackson’s moonwalk-sparking hit “Billie Jean” climbed back into the top 10 on Spotify’s global chart this week, with “Beat It” not far behind.
The singer has been shadowed by scandal ever since he was accused of molesting a teenage boy in 1993; he denied any wrongdoing and settled the lawsuit. While this was part of the original screenplay for “Michael,” The Wall Street Journal reported that the plotline had to be scrubbed due to conditions of the settlement. The singer was acquitted of child molestation charges stemming from a separate accusation in 2005.
In the 2019 documentary, “Leaving Neverland,” two other men alleged they were abused by Jackson as children. Singer described that project as “replete with false allegations” in his statement.
“Michael” ends in 1988 with the star conquering the world on the “Bad” tour. If the celebratory tone was a weakness for critics, it was a strength for fans. The film “chose to focus on [Jackson’s] legacy and his music, which I feel like he would have wanted, versus all of the controversies,” said Angwi Tacho, 28, who has seen the movie twice. She went to the first screening dressed as the star from the “Smooth Criminal” video and then as the girl in the “Thriller” short film.
“A lot of people loved Michael, and he had a huge impact,” added Bria Candace, 26. “People are just focused on how talented he was and nothing else.”
Candace was raised on Jackson’s catalog, so she felt compelled to dress up for the movie: “I just ran into my mom’s closet like, ‘What do you have?’” Rifling through her mother’s wardrobe, she was able to assemble most of a “Bad”-era outfit.
“This is my only chance,” Candace recalled thinking. “He’s gone. This is the thing that I can do that will make me feel connected.”
