'Michael' predicted to mark the biggest debut for musical biopics
What's the story
The upcoming biopic, Michael, which chronicles the life of pop icon Michael Jackson, is expected to have a strong opening weekend at the US box office. Starring Jaafar Jackson as the King of Pop, the film is projected to earn between $65 million and $70 million in North America during its debut weekend. The revised estimates are an increase from earlier predictions that estimated earnings between $50 million and $60 million.
Details
Currently, 'Straight Outta Compton' holds the record
Currently, the biggest debuts by musical biopics in Hollywood have been by Straight Outta Compton, which opened to $60.2 million, and Bohemian Rhapsody, which debuted with $51 million. As Variety points out, if the predictions stand true, the Antoine Fuqua directorial can easily set a new record this Friday when it releases.
Global success
Film could surpass 'Oppenheimer's domestic record
The film is also expected to do well internationally, with early projections suggesting an additional $75 million to $80 million from overseas markets. This would bring the total worldwide opening weekend earnings to around $140-150 million. Such figures would place Michael among the stronger global debuts for a biographical feature. Some estimates even suggest that the domestic total could be higher, potentially bringing Michael close to or past Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer's opening weekend of $82 million in North America.