“Bob Marley: One Love” Chasing “Bohemian Rhapsody” For Top Music Biopic Of All Time

In just under a week, “Bob Marley: One Love” has made its mark as one of the most successful music biopics in U.S. domestic box-office history. Starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as the iconic reggae legend, the film has raked in an impressive $52 million in the United States and Canada and grossed $80 Million globally.

That already surpasses ticket sales for most movies shot in Jamaica or about a Jamaican with the exception being James Bond’s “No Time To Die” which opened with 56 Million in North America in 2021.  The Walt Disney film Cocktail (1988) about a talented New York bartender who takes a job at a bar in Jamaica made $11.7 million its first weekend and Marked For Death starring Stephen Segal grossed $11,790, 047 its first week then went on to gross over $46 million domestically and $58 million worldwide.

“How Stella Got Her Groove Back” (1998) earned $11,318, 919 but only managed to take the No. 2 spot in the U.S. at the Box Office behind Saving Private Ryan.

While License To Wed (2007) scored $10.4 million and Cool Runnings (1993) opened domestically in the U.S. with $7,046,646 in receipts which was 10% of total gross. Belly(1998) earned $3,454,776 making up 35% of total gross.

With the six day tally (Feb 14-19), “Bob Marley: One Love” comes in at No. 11 on the list of top-grossing biopics released in the U.S. and Canada of musicians according to Billboard. 

On the list are Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, including Elvis Presley, James Brown, Ray Charles, and Buddy Holly, highlighting the enduring fascination with these legendary figures.

Topping the list as the highest-grossing music biopic in terms of domestic box office is “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018). Which “Bob Marley: One Love” bested their opening weekend sales of $51 Million but will need to do an additional $160 million domestic calling to become the No. 1 music biopic in the U.S.

“Rhapsody” has to date grossed $216.4 million in North America. Actor Rami Malek delivers a transformative performance as Queen’s charismatic frontman, Freddie Mercury, in this electrifying biopic that celebrates the band’s iconic music and enduring legacy. 

The methodology behind compiling this list involved extracting data from Boxofficemojo.com, focusing on films shot on location in Jamaica and biopics where actors portray musicians. While some high-grossing films about music personalities like “The Sound of Music,” “Green Book,” “Florence Foster Jenkins,” and “Music of the Heart” weren’t included due to their non-traditional biopic format, the selected films offer a comprehensive view of the genre’s box office success.

See full top 25 biopics of music stars based on domestic gross: