'Michael' moonwalks to the box office with record $219m global opening

“Michael,” directed by Antoine Fuqua, had an impressive opening weekend, setting a new record for the biggest-grossing debut for a biopic.

The film has more than recovered its $155 million production cost after it earned $97.2 million domestically and $219 million globally. "Michael" released on April 24 in the US, now holds the biggest opening weekend for a biographical film outperforming “Bohemian Rhapsody” and "Oppenheimer."

According to Variety, expectations for "Michael" were high, with early tracking estimates predicting an opening in the $50–$60 million range. The 2018 Queen/Freddie Mercury biopic, which opened with $51 million and later brought in more than $900 million worldwide, previously held the box office record for musical biopics.

"Michael" covers the King of Pop Michael Jackson’s life from the 60s through the late 80s, with the singer’s nephew Jaafar Jackson portraying him.

Despite receiving mostly negative reviews from critics, "Michael" has far exceeded box office expectations. The film ranks as the second-largest global debut of the year, behind “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.” "Michael’s" opening weekend also surpassed “Project Hail Mary,” which earned around $80.5 million in its debut.

Though both "Michael" and "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" received poor reviews from critics, audiences have been much more positive with critics giving a 40% rating on the Tomatometer, but  a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, with many viewers giving it four and five stars.

Meanwhile, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" continues to perform earning an additional $21.2 million over the weekend despite being dislodged to the number two spot by "Michael."