Bohemian Rhapsody, the Queen biopic released in October 2018, once held the record as the top-grossing movie biopic, earning a whopping $910.8 million globally on a $50 million budget.
This film, shedding light on Freddie Mercury and Queen’s journey up to their iconic Live Aid performance in 1986, no longer holds its champion title.
Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece, Oppenheimer, released in July, has now clinched the top spot with its global earnings of $912.7 million. Centered around J. Robert Oppenheimer, often called the “father of the atomic bomb”, the film boasts a star-studded cast, including Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., and Florence Pugh. Beyond its biopic success, Oppenheimer also reigns as the highest-earning World War Two movie.
2023’s film charts see Oppenheimer positioned third, trailing behind the popular Barbie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
While Bohemian Rhapsody lost its top-grossing status, it’s worth noting the film bagged various accolades. It earned four Oscars, two BAFTAs, and two Golden Globes.
Reflecting on the movie’s success and a potential sequel, Brian May of Queen remarked, “We’d love to make a sequel.” But he also highlighted the challenges, saying, “It took us 12 years to find the right script for the first one… We don’t want to release something unless we’re confident it will resonate as the original did.”
