Michael, the Antoine Fuqua-directed biopic on Michael Jackson has defied poor reviews to post a record-breaking debut at the global box office.
The film opened to USD 97 million in North America and USD 120.4 million overseas, taking its worldwide opening haul to USD 217 million. The film has now emerged as the biggest opening biopic, surpassing previous benchmarks set by Oppenheimer (USD 180.4 million) and Bohemian Rhapsody (USD 124 million).
Starring Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in the titular role, and co-produced by the Jackson estate, the film has opened in most international markets, barring Japan, where it is scheduled for release in June.
In North America, the film’s USD 97 million debut also outperformed earlier biopics such as Oppenheimer (USD 82 million), Straight Outta Compton (USD 60.2 million) and Bohemian Rhapsody (USD 51 million).
Pre-release projections had estimated an opening closer to USD 50 million, later revised to USD 70 million, which the film exceeded by a wide margin.
Some members of the Jackson family distanced themselves from the film, with his daughter Paris Jackson calling it “fantasy land”.
The film also encountered production challenges. After principal photography, producers realised the third act centred on allegations involving Jordan Chandler, settled in 1994 for USD 23 million. The settlement barred any depiction of Chandler, forcing extensive cuts and reshoots reportedly costing up to USD 50 million.
Director Antoine Fuqua and screenwriter John Logan subsequently reworked the narrative to conclude in 1988, before the allegations surfaced.
A sequel to Michael is already in development, with Fuqua expressing interest in returning to direct. “It would kill me if somebody else did it,” he told Deadline, adding that unused footage could be repurposed for future instalments.
Meanwhile, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has crossed the USD 800 million mark globally, earning USD 831 million so far, including USD 36.6 million from 83 overseas markets in its fourth weekend.
On the other hand, Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling, has surpassed USD 600 million worldwide. The film collected USD 12.2 million in its sixth weekend, taking its international total to USD 308 million and global earnings to USD 613.3 million.
