Michael biopic Michael surpassed expectations at the global box office this past weekend as it rewrote record books and silenced critics who questioned its troubled path to theaters.
The film, centered on Michael Jackson and starring his nephew Jaafar Jackson, opened to $97 million domestically and a staggering $217.4 million worldwide, according to Comscore estimates released Sunday. The debut now stands as the biggest opening weekend ever for a musical biopic, surpassing Straight Outta Compton and even overtaking Oppenheimer which previously held the biopic record with a $174 million global launch. Despite a wave of early negative critical reviews, Michael found its footing with audiences who showed up in force. The film earned an A- CinemaScore and a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, signaling a clear divide between critics and moviegoers. Some theaters turned into celebration zones, with fans singing and dancing along to the late icon’s music during screenings.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film chronicles Jackson’s rise from childhood stardom through the late 1980s, ending around the Bad tour era. It was forced to avoid areas depicting the singer’s later controversies.