The musical biopic "Michael" — about the King of Pop Michael Jackson — debuted in the U.S. box office with a notable take: approx. $12.5–13.5 million. Oddly enough, the sci‑fi hit of the year, Project "End of the World," earned less on its opening day; numbers, sometimes, tell their own strange stories (vs. the chatter you see online).
Internationally, where it has opened in most of the 82 announced markets, the picture collected about $18.5M on day one — Intl. interest is real. That push has already put "Michael" ahead of the box office curve set by the Freddie Mercury film "Bohemian Rhapsody." Trade estimates peg the global haul near $150M over the opening wknd, give or take.
Behind the camera is Antoine Fuqua; the title role is played by Michael’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson. Critics, however, have largely panned the film — and at least one other nephew has publicly defended it.
In Russia, the movie will be officially released on May 28.