King of box office: 'Michael' marks massive $97M debut
What's the story
The biopic of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, titled Michael and starring Jaafar Jackson, has had a steady opening weekend at the box office. In its first weekend, it debuted in North America with a whopping $97 million and $217 million globally. Further, it raked in ₹16cr net over its first three days in India. Per trade estimates by Sacnilk, it earned ₹5.5cr on Day 3 (Sunday) across 3,201 shows, 7.8% more than its Saturday earnings of ₹5.1cr.
Box office battle
'Michael' beats 'Dhurandhar 2's 6th weekend total
The film's performance has also put it ahead of Dhurandhar 2 in terms of current box office momentum. The Ranveer Singh starrer, now in its sixth week, reportedly earned an estimated ₹7.95cr over its sixth weekend, taking its cumulative India net total to around ₹1,130.59cr. Michael's debut weekend earnings also slightly missed the ₹20cr mark with gross collections estimated at around ₹19.2cr in India.
Market influence
'Michael' also affected the business of 'Bhooth Bangla'
The box office numbers suggest that the Hollywood film has emerged as a strong new contender for Bollywood films. Not only has it beaten Dhurandhar 2, but it has also affected the business of Bhooth Bangla, starring Akshay Kumar in the lead role. The horror-comedy reportedly earned an estimated ₹29cr over its second weekend, a significant drop from its opening weekend total of ₹58cr.
Global success
Best opening for a biopic in North America
As mentioned, Michael opened to a sensational $97 million debut at the North American box office and $217 million globally in its first weekend of release. The ticket sales made it the best opening of all time for a biopic, beating the record set by 2015's Straight Outta Compton. It also towered above 2018's Bohemian Rhapsody, which opened with $51 million and eventually earned $910 million worldwide by the end of its run.