Box Office Stunner: ‘Michael’ Set to Near $90 Million in Record-Breaking Domestic Opening

Antoine Fuqua’s biopic about Michael Jackson is poised to exceed expectations at the domestic box office, with projections indicating a debut close to $90 million. The film, titled Michael, is expected to earn between $37 million and $38 million on its opening Friday alone, leading to a projected three-day total of at least $88 million. This marks a significant achievement for Lionsgate, the film’s distributor. Globally, Michael could surpass $180 million in its opening weekend, bolstered by Jackson’s immense popularity overseas, where Universal Pictures is handling international distribution.

Record-Breaking Projections

Prior to the weekend, Michael was anticipated to open in the $65 million to $70 million range domestically. Even this lower estimate would have secured it the title of the biggest opening weekend for a music biopic, unadjusted for inflation. The current record is held by Universal’s Straight Outta Compton, which earned $60.1 million, followed by Fox’s Bohemian Rhapsody at $55 million.

The film’s potential became evident after it garnered $12.6 million during its Wednesday and Thursday previews. This figure is comparable to the 2026 box office hit Hail Project Mary and surpasses the preview earnings of major films like Dune: Part II and Oppenheimer, both of which reported around $10 million.

Audience Reception and Critical Response

While the film’s audience score on Rotten Tomatoes stands at an impressive 96%, critics have expressed mixed feelings. As of Thursday, the critics’ score fluctuated between 29% and 33%. Many reviews criticized the decision by producer Graham King and Lionsgate to conclude the film before Jackson faced allegations of child sexual abuse, a choice supported by the Jackson estate. The film’s budget initially set at $155 million, reportedly escalated to nearly $200 million due to additional photography.

David Rooney, chief film critic, noted that while Michael does not offer groundbreaking revelations, it effectively captures the melancholy underlying Jackson’s extraordinary success. He remarked that the filmmakers chose to focus on Jackson’s early career, concluding with the 1988 Bad World Tour concert in London, well before the allegations emerged. The film ends with an epilogue stating, “His story continues.”

By Thursday night, the critics’ score had risen to 40%, indicating a slight improvement, although audience reactions have been overwhelmingly positive.

Nostalgia and Market Trends

When tracking for Michael began three weeks ago, estimates for its domestic opening ranged from $55 million to $60 million. The recent surge in projections suggests that the film may be benefiting from nostalgia, enticing infrequent moviegoers to return to theaters for the first time since the pandemic. This trend appears to resonate particularly with Gen Z audiences.

Internationally, Michael is debuting in 82 markets, excluding Japan. It launched in key territories on Wednesday, earning $16.6 million for a cumulative total of $18.5 million, including previews.

International Highlights

• France ($2.6 million): Achieved the biggest opening day ever for a biopic, surpassing the openings of both Oppenheimer and Bohemian Rhapsody.
• U.K. & Ireland ($2.6 million): Recorded the largest opening day for a musical biopic, exceeding the Wednesday openings of Bohemian Rhapsody and significantly outpacing the Friday openings of Elvis and Rocketman.
• Italy ($1.3 million): Marked the biggest opening day for a musical biopic, surpassing Bohemian Rhapsody.
• Australia ($1 million): Set the record for the largest opening day for a musical biopic, outdoing Elvis.
• Brazil ($651,000): Contributed to a total of $2 million in previews, representing the highest preview earnings for a non-superhero, non-franchise film in the market, maintaining a 68% market share.

As reported by www.hollywoodreporter.com.

Explore the latest digital editions of FAME Delivered in the Magazine section: https://famedelivered.com/magazine/

Published on 2026-04-25 05:06:00 • By FAME Delivered News Desk