Filmmaker Antoine Fuqua’s long-awaited Michael Jackson biopic opens in theaters across North America and around the world this weekend, hoping to achieve a record moonwalk.
From Lionsgate, michael It aims to gross at least $65 million to $70 million domestically, which would make it the biggest opening ever for a music biopic, surpassing Universal’s current record holder. straight outta compton ($60.2 million) and Fox’s Freddie Mercury biopic bohemian rhapsody ($55 million), not adjusted for inflation. producer behind michael and Rhapsody Graham King.
When the film was first tracked three weeks ago, its range was $55 million to $60 million. While still a large number, the subsequent spike shows that: michael It could be benefiting from the nostalgia factor that has seen rare moviegoers return to multiplexes in droves for the first time since the pandemic, or it could be sparking interest among Gen Z, the most avid moviegoers.
michael It’s widely expected to become an even bigger phenomenon at the overseas box office, given the enthusiasm the King of Pop’s legacy enjoys across the ocean. Estimates indicate that it started at $75 million to $90 million, against a reported net budget of $155 million, with $15 million spent on 22 additional days of filming. They dispute reports that the additional work has pushed the budget closer to $200 million.
There’s one problem. The reviews are terrible. As of Thursday night, the film had an abysmal 33 percent score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film’s journey to the screen was fraught with challenges, and its release was delayed several times. The original aim was to capture Jackson’s entire life and career, including the child molestation allegations that began to embroil him in scandal by the 1990s, after he achieved solo superstar status with the release of The Movie. thriller In 1982, it became one of the best-selling albums of all time; bad (Jackson was formally charged, tried, and acquitted in 2005, four years before his death).
However, plans changed after King and the Jackson estate, which supported the project, faced legal problems after Jackson’s accusers, who had previously settled with the estate by guaranteeing that he would not appear in the dramatization, objected. King and the filmmakers, along with Lionsgate and Universal, began working on a plan to split the film into two films to leave room to resolve this particular issue.
“Fuqua and screenwriter John Logan aren’t exactly breaking the mold.” michaelit also doesn’t pack in any big revelations. But they tap into the vein of melancholy that underlies their stratospheric success, and it’s surprisingly affecting. The online mob will be sharpening their pitchforks, considering the film doesn’t address the child molestation accusations that tarnished Michael Jackson’s legacy. But the filmmakers avoid that problem by focusing on his early career, up to 1988. bad A world tour concert held in London several years before the allegations first surfaced. The epilogue card that says “His story continues” does some of the heavy lifting. ” THR Chief film critic David Rooney wrote in his review:
broadway musical M.J.is now in its fourth year and, in addition to a domestic tour and multiple international transfers, has not been tarnished by allegations of child sexual abuse. After the death of Sony and Kenny Ortega, the 2009 Michael Jackson movie couldn’t be stopped either. This Is Itwith worldwide ticket sales of $267 million, becoming the highest-grossing documentary of all time.
However, what has been highly praised by critics is This Is It It had a hard time winning over viewers in North America. The documentary goes behind the scenes as Jackson plans and rehearses for his final concert series of the same name, to be held at London’s O2. He died on August 29, 18 days before his first concert. In the weeks leading up to its domestic release, some called for a boycott of the document. It started at $22 million domestically and peaked at a staggering $72 million. It grossed $195 million worldwide, bringing its worldwide total to $267 million, surpassing the film’s box office gross of $261 million. Taylor Swift: The Elus Tour in 2025 (the latter is a direct concert photo).
Lionsgate doesn’t have a global distribution structure, so Universal acquired the rights to release the film internationally in the fall of 2023. The deal does not include Japan, which is handled by Kino Films. Jackson was nothing short of a hero’s hero in his country. This Is It The film earned $57 million of its total overseas revenue. And earlier this year, michael The film had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival, demonstrating once again the importance of Jackson’s international fan base.
In North America, michael will hold previews Thursday night and be shown Friday in more than 3,900 theaters, including 1,600 auditoriums with Imax and premium large screens.
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