The Michael Jackson biopic has stormed cinemas worldwide, racking up massive earnings that put it on course to become the highest-grossing musical biopic debut in history.
Michael box office collection
Lionsgate’s ‘Michael’ pulled in $12.6 million from Wednesday and Thursday previews in North America alone, with $3.8 million coming from special IMAX screenings. The film now appears set to earn between $65 million and $80 million domestically during its opening weekend, easily surpassing previous record-holder ‘Straight Outta Compton’, which opened to $60.2 million in 2015.
The international release kicked off strongly on Wednesday across 82 markets, earning $16.6 million on opening day for a running total of $18.5 million including previews. Universal is handling distribution outside North America, excluding Japan where local distributor Kino Films holds the rights.
France led the charge amongst overseas territories. At 743 screens, the film charted the biggest opening day for a biopic ever in the country, capturing 41 per cent of total admissions and ranking number one. The performance exceeded both ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ at the same point in their releases.
The United Kingdom and Ireland also witnessed record-breaking numbers. The film achieved the biggest opening day for a musical biopic of all time, representing 71 per cent of the total market. It surpassed the Wednesday opening of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and substantially outperformed the Friday debuts of ‘Elvis’ and ‘Rocketman’.
In Germany, where Jackson toured extensively during his career, the film earned $1 million from 849 screens with a 55 per cent market share, marking the biggest opening day for a musical biopic in that territory.
Australia delivered $1 million from 290 locations, beating director Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’ to claim the record for biggest opening day for a musical biopic in the market.
Italy and Spain also saw strong performances. Italy generated $1.3 million across 480 locations with a 72 per cent market share, whilst Spain contributed $1.1 million from 520 screens with a 62 per cent market share, both achieving the highest opening days for a biopic in their respective territories.
Mexico expanded to wider previews on Wednesday, adding $1.1 million to reach a running total of $1.6 million whilst maintaining the number one position with a 64 per cent market share.
Brazil posted $651,000 for a combined preview total of $2 million, representing the biggest preview result ever for a non-superhero, non-franchise film in the market.
By Friday morning, the film had accumulated a worldwide running total of $44.3 million for the $200 million feature production.
Industry forecasts suggest the film will reach $150 million globally during its opening weekend, with some estimates climbing as high as $160 million. If achieved, this would establish a new benchmark for musical biopics, comfortably ahead of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, which opened to $51 million domestically and $69 million in comparable international territories.
The film’s commercial success stands in stark contrast to its critical reception. Reviews have been largely negative, with the film hovering around 36 per cent approval on Rotten Tomatoes. Many critics have taken issue with the biopic’s decision to end before the child abuse allegations that later engulfed Jackson’s career.
The production was directed by Antoine Fuqua with a screenplay by John Logan and produced by Graham King, who also produced ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Jaafar Jackson, the real-life nephew of Michael Jackson, portrays the King of Pop, with Colman Domingo and Nia Long playing his parents.
The film’s journey to cinemas proved challenging. The original screenplay included dramatisation of a 1993 lawsuit accuser, but producers discovered a clause in the settlement that barred the depiction of the individual in film or television. This necessitated expensive reshoots, with the Jackson estate reportedly funding $15 million in additional photography.
The production costs ballooned to at least $170 million, making it one of the most expensive biopics ever made. Expensive music rights and extensive recreations of famous concert performances contributed significantly to the budget.
The film charts Jackson’s journey from his early days in the Jackson 5 through to the 1988 Bad World Tour concert in London, years before allegations first surfaced.
Despite the critical drubbing, audience reception has been overwhelmingly positive. Early CinemaScore ratings placed the film at an A-minus, suggesting strong word-of-mouth could sustain its box office performance beyond the opening weekend.
Tracking data initially projected the film would earn between $55 million and $60 million domestically when it first appeared three weeks ago, but subsequent increases suggest the nostalgia factor is inspiring infrequent cinemagoers to return to multiplexes.
The success mirrors the pattern established by ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, which overcame mixed reviews to become the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time with $910 million worldwide. Internally, Lionsgate hopes ‘Michael’ will gross at least $700 million globally.
If the film reaches those heights, Lionsgate is planning sequels. Studio executives suggest roughly 30 per cent of material jettisoned from the current film could be reconstituted for potential follow-ups.
China opened on Friday and has already contributed $1.5 million in its first day. Japan, where Jackson enjoyed particular popularity and where documentary ‘This Is It’ earned $57 million, will release the film in June. South Korea is scheduled for a 13 May debut.
As the weekend’s only major release, ‘Michael’ faces minimal competition at the box office. Universal’s ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ is expected to slip to second place after three weeks atop the domestic charts, having accumulated $356 million in North America and $752 million globally to date.
