The highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic, ‘Michael’, has dominated the North American box office in its opening weekend, raking in a whopping $97 million. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the film tells the story of Michael Jackson’s life beyond the music, highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career.
According to data from measurement firm Comscore, ‘Michael’ also took in a reported $120.4m from international markets for an estimated $217.4m worldwide through Sunday. This impressive debut has solidified the film’s position as a box office hit, despite receiving mixed reviews from critics. On the review-aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of just 38 percent based on 210 critic reviews, while its audience score stands at an impressive 97 percent positive.
Controversy Surrounding the Film
The film has also been slammed by Humane World for Animals over the role of MJ’s famous pet chimpanzee, Bubbles, in the movie. The organisation warned that the portrayal of Bubbles as a “friendly and manageable” domestic companion risks reinforcing the idea that wild animals can thrive in private homes, which could boost the demand for exotic pets. For more information on the impact of exotic pets on wildlife, visit the World Wildlife Fund website.
Despite the controversy, fans have flocked to see the film, with many taking to social media to share their thoughts and opinions. The film’s success has also sparked a renewed interest in Michael Jackson’s music, with many of his songs experiencing a surge in streaming and sales.
Box Office Rankings
After leading the North American box office for three consecutive weeks, Universal and Illumination’s animated adventure film ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ slipped to second place in its fourth weekend, grossing $21.2m for a North American total of $386.5m. Rounding out the top three, Amazon MGM Studio’s science fiction film ‘Project Hail Mary’ generated $13.2m in its sixth weekend for a domestic cumulative audience of $305.4m.
Here are the top 3 box office rankings for the weekend:
- ‘Michael’ – $97 million
- ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ – $21.2 million
- ‘Project Hail Mary’ – $13.2 million
As the film continues to dominate the box office, it will be interesting to see how it performs in the coming weeks and whether it will be able to maintain its momentum. For more information on the film and its production, visit the Wikipedia page for ‘Michael’.
