Michael Jackson Biopic 'Michael' Breaks Records with $39.5 Million Opening
Record-Breaking Opening for 'Michael'
Fans have eagerly flocked to see Michael, a biographical film about the legendary pop icon Michael Jackson, featuring his nephew Jaafar Jackson. The film achieved a remarkable milestone in the US, raking in $39.5 million on its opening day, making it the highest-grossing debut for a biopic, surpassing Christopher Nolan's acclaimed film Oppenheimer, which earned $33 million. Projections suggest that this musical could potentially reach $100 million by the end of its opening weekend, outpacing the sci-fi film Project Hail Mary, which also had a strong debut.
'Michael' Surpasses Expectations with $39.5 Million Opening Day
As reported by Variety, Michael generated $39.5 million on its first day across 3,955 theaters in North America. The publication anticipates that the Antoine Fuqua-directed film could gross between $90 million and $100 million in its first week, setting a new record for musical biopics in the US. In March, Project Hail Mary, featuring Ryan Gosling, also exceeded expectations with an opening of $80.6 million. However, Michael is poised to surpass those figures right from its opening weekend.
Trade analyst Luiz Fernando noted that Michael has achieved the largest opening of 2026, surpassing The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. He predicts that the film will easily exceed industry estimates of $65 to $75 million for its opening weekend. Additionally, the film garnered $12.6 million during its preview screenings on Thursday, April 23.
Produced by Lionsgate, this musical has a substantial production budget of $155 million, largely due to the high costs associated with music rights and elaborate concert sets that recreate some of the King of Pop's most iconic performances. The estate of the late singer also incurred significant expenses after reshooting the film's final act. Initially, the biopic was set to address the sexual abuse allegations that surfaced in 1993, but due to a settlement clause preventing the depiction of the accuser in film or television, those scenes were ultimately removed.
International Reception of 'Michael'
The international box office performance for Michael is also anticipated to be impressive. In China, ticketing platforms Maoyan and Taopiaopiao have given the film high ratings, with scores of 9.6 and 9.5 out of 10, respectively. These ratings are among the highest for any foreign film released in the country this year.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film boasts an audience score of 97 percent, although critics have expressed dissatisfaction, labeling it as overly simplistic, resulting in a 'rotten' score of 38 percent.