Michael box office collection: Despite being flooded with negative reviews, pop star Michael Jackson’s biopic, which released worldwide on April 23, has recorded the best opening weekend haul for any biopic so far. The film managed to beat the biggies like Oppenheimer and Bohemian Rhapsody, recording a historic opening debut.
Michael’s worldwide box office collection
According to Variety, Michael has emerged as the new box office king. The film minted $97 million domestically and $120 million internationally, taking its total to $217 million globally in its first weekend of release. With this, the film set the records for the biggest opening weekend for a biopic.
Earlier, Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) held the record for the biggest global opening for a musical biopic, earning $122 million in its first weekend. The film, based on the band Queen, went on to become a huge blockbuster, finishing its theatrical run with $910 million worldwide. The film also surpassed Christopher Nolan’s epic biographical film, Oppenheimer, which was released in 2023.
The film starring Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr, Emily Blunt and Matt Damon, among others, earned over $174 million in its opening weekend and eventually turned out to be a blockbuster. Meanwhile, Michael now stands as the second-largest global opener of the year, trailing only Universal’s sequel The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which debuted with $372.5 million.
Michael receives love in India
The film is having a steady run in India and has so far earned ₹16 crore. Several celebrities came in support of the film amid negative reviews. Choreographer and filmmaker Farah Khan revealed that she loved the film and even demanded an Oscar for Jaafar Jackson’s performance. She further urged the audience to watch the film in theatres and ignore the negative reviews of the critics. Anupam Kher also revealed that he was whistling, crying and laughing while watching the movie and praised Jaafar’s performance in his review of the film.
About Michael
Helmed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, Michael also stars Nia Long, Laura Harrier, Miles Teller, and Colman Domingo. The film chronicles Michael Jackson’s journey from Gary, Indiana, to global superstar, featuring his early years with the Jackson 5, his breakthrough album Off The Wall, and his superstardom with Thriller. The film has received negative reviews from critics, with many criticising the film for ‘whitewashing’ and ‘sanitising’ the singer’s image. However, none of it stopped the fans from flocking to the theatres in large numbers.