Michael Movie Opens Big Globally, Audience RT Rating Contradicts Critics’ Score

The Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, has opened strongly at the global box office, delivering solid numbers across international markets. However, it has sparked a divided response among viewers and critics. The film’s reception on Rotten Tomatoes highlights a sharp contrast, with audience scores far more positive than those of critics.

Michael starts with $18.5 million at international box office

According to Deadline, the Michael Jackson biopic Michael has opened with $18.5 million across 82 markets, including preview screenings. The film generated $16.6 million from Wednesday showings alone, indicating a strong initial response. 

France led the opening with $2.6 million, followed closely by the United Kingdom and Ireland with a matching $2.6 million. In France, the film set a new benchmark for biographical releases on opening day and climbed to the top position at the box office. A similar trend was seen in the UK and Ireland, where the film delivered the highest opening for a musical biopic and dominated the market share.

Across other regions, the film maintained a leading position. Italy generated $1.3 million from its opening day. Meanwhile, Spain brought in $1.1 million and recorded the strongest debut for a biopic in that market.

Mexico added $1.1 million on Wednesday, reaching $1.6 million including previews. In Germany, the film collected $1 million, and Australia matched that figure with a similarly strong opening. Brazil contributed $651,000, bringing its cumulative total to $2 million.

In several of these markets, the film also set new opening day records for musical biopics, outperforming titles such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Elvis, and Rocketman.

Michael draws 96% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes

There is a notable gap between the critical and audience response to Michael on Rotten Tomatoes. The film holds a 40 percent critics score on the Tomatometer, based on 164 reviews. In contrast, it has received a much stronger response from viewers, with a 96 percent audience score on the Popcornmeter.

Source: Comingsoon.net