The new musical film about Michael Jackson has been a huge success in cinemas worldwide, setting a record for the most successful opening weekend for a biopic.
The production, starring his nephew Jaafar Jackson, has grossed $217 million globally since its release on Wednesday, surpassing previous genre records.
Until now, the lead was held by the film Bohemian Rhapsody, inspired by the life of Freddie Mercury, which debuted with $124 million in 2018. Meanwhile, Michael has also surpassed the success of Oppenheimer, becoming the biggest global opening for a biopic of any kind.
Lionsgate studio head Adam Fogelson stated that the high figures reflect broad interest from audiences across all age groups, emphasizing that the film is being enthusiastically received by audiences.
However, critical reactions have been more reserved. According to the Rotten Tomatoes platform, the film has received only a 38% rating from critics, while the audience has rated it with 97%, showing a marked difference in perception.
The film focuses primarily on Jackson's musical career, using his original vocals and spectacular concert reenactments. At the same time, it avoids mentioning the allegations of child sexual abuse that have dogged the artist over the years. Jackson has consistently denied the charges and was acquitted in 2005.
Initially, the project envisioned including some of these allegations, including the case of Jordan Chandler, but the scenes were removed after the discovery of a confidentiality agreement that prohibited its mention in film projects.
As a result, the film was rewritten and partially reshot, completing the narrative in 1988, before the controversy erupted. Director Antoine Fuqua described the process as a major challenge for the production team.
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