The box office has a new benchmark for music biopics. ‘Michael’, directed by Antoine Fuqua and centred on Michael Jackson, has launched with an estimated $217 million worldwide in its opening weekend, putting it ahead of every previous film in the category.
A large share of that total came from cinemas in the United States and Canada, where the film generated just under $100 million. International audiences contributed the rest, underlining the enduring global fascination with Jackson’s story and catalogue.
The film features Jaafar Jackson, the late singer’s nephew, in the lead role. Its narrative focuses heavily on Jackson’s early rise and peak years, an approach that helped broaden its appeal, even as some critics have pointed out the limited attention given to more contentious chapters of his life.
Critical reactions have been mixed, but that hasn’t slowed down audience turnout. Cinema-goers have shown strong enthusiasm, translating into packed screenings and repeat viewings in several markets.
Behind the scenes, the production faced a complex path to release, including revisions and additional filming that reportedly increased its overall cost. However, despite that, the film’s opening performance suggests those challenges have not hindered its commercial impact.
With such a dominant debut, ‘Michael’ has quickly positioned itself as one of the year’s biggest movie drops and a rare example of a biographical film reaching blockbuster-level success on a global scale.
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