The late King of Pop is now the king of the box office. Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic moonwalked to a record-breaking opening of US$217 million worldwide, with US$97 million coming from the domestic box office.
Michael ranks as the best start of all time for a music biopic, surpassing 2015’s Straight Outta Compton (US$60 million domestically) and 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody. Outside of the genre, the film also exceeded the debut figures for Oppenheimer (US$80 million) and now stands as the second-biggest opening of the year behind The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which notched US$131 million.
The ticket sales may come as a surprise to some, considering the negative reviews from critics that earned a 38 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences seem to think otherwise, pushing the movie to an A- grade on CinemaScore. Other notable milestones include Lionsgate’s best debut since the pandemic and its sixth-biggest after four Hunger Games instalments and the final Twilight entry, as well as its knocking Project Hail Mary down to the third-highest opening of 2026.
Starring Michael’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, in the titular role, Michael tells the story of the pop icon’s “life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world.” It additionally features Miles Teller (Top Gun: Maverick) as entertainment lawyer John Branca and Laura Harrier as music producer Suzanne de Passe, alongside Jamal R. Henderson, Tre Horton, Rhyan Hill, Joseph David-Jones (Arrow), and Jessica Sula (Split) as Michael’s siblings — Jermaine, Marlon, Tito, Jackie, and La Toya — respectively.
Holding tightly onto the No. 2 spot is The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which has set its sights on the highly coveted billion-dollar club after earning a global tally of US$871 million. The third-place Project Hail Mary currently sits at US$613.3 million in its sixth weekend, with Lee Cronin’s The Mummy and A24’s The Drama rounding out the top five. Come next weekend, the long-awaited The Devil Wears Prada 2 will fuel movie enthusiasm even further.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
