![\"Premiere](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/89746ca07ec27abc7e2ad671bbffab9b4c-michael-box-office.rsquare.w330.jpg\")
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\n Photo: Emma McIntyre\/WireImage\n <\/p>\n
What a stunning weekend for brand management<\/a>! Michael, the critically reviled<\/a> Michael Jackson biopic, earned over $200 million at the box office globally in its first weekend. $120 million of that was overseas. The film almost broke $100 mil domestically, with a $97 million b.o. its first weekend.<\/p>\n Michael now holds the record for best opening for a biopic ever, blowing past Straight Outta Compton\u2019s $60.2 million. Which it was expected to do. Tracking<\/a> put the domestic tally at somewhere between $65 and $70 million, and those expectations were far exceeded. The film also made back its reported $170 million budget, including the $15 mil of reshoots that were legally required<\/a>. The original cut of the film included a framing device depicting the people who accused Jackson of child sexual abuse as \u201cmoney-grubbing\u201d opportunists, \u201cwhose unfounded claims force Jackson to endure ridicule and persecution until he ultimately settles, his resolve and reputation forever in tatters,\u201d Puck\u2019s Matt Belloni<\/a> wrote in January of last year. But a lawsuit settlement stated the Chandlers could not be shown at all in any dramatization of Jackson\u2019s life.<\/p>\n The question now becomes: sequel? The film ends with a James Bond-esque \u201cHis Story Continues\u201d title card. But if the estate is legally prohibited from depicting basically the entire second half of Jackson\u2019s life, what would a second movie even be about? Lisa Marie? Or maybe the filming of Martin Bashir\u2019s Living With Michael Jackson. If Michael doesn\u2019t need Janet<\/a>, Michael 2 can basically be about anything. Except \u201cScream,\u201d they can\u2019t do \u201cScream.\u201d<\/p>\n Sign up for the Vulture Daily<\/p>\n An entertainment newsletter for the pop-culture obsessed.<\/p>\n Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice<\/p>\n