{"id":607770,"date":"2026-04-26T16:58:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T16:58:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/607770\/"},"modified":"2026-04-26T16:58:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T16:58:11","slug":"michael-opening-to-near-100m-u-s-217m-ww","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/607770\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Michael&#8217; Opening to Near $100M U.S, $217M+ WW"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tSUNDAY AM: Refresh for more..<a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/tag\/lionsgate\/\" id=\"auto-tag_lionsgate\" data-tag=\"lionsgate\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lionsgate<\/a>\u2018s <a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/tag\/michael\/\" id=\"auto-tag_michael\" data-tag=\"michael\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Michael<\/a> this morning is sliding in at $97M domestic, and $217.4M worldwide. $120.4M of that haul came from 82 international markets from Universal. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tBox office stat firm EntTelligence reports that there were 6.3 million people who watched Michael in North America alone, off a general ticket price of $15.01 and average PLF ticket price of $18.56. This is ahead of Project Hail Mary\u2018s opening weekend admissions of 4.9M. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tSaturday stateside was $32.5M, -18% versus Friday\/previews of $39.5M, a great hold. If you take out the $12.6M previews out of Friday, then Saturday was +21% over the pic\u2019s actual Friday ($26.9M). <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tImax rang up $24.4M worldwide, the biggest Imax debut for a musical biopic. Of that $13.8M came from 427 North American screens, repping 14% of the domestic weekend. Michael is also the highest grossing Imax opening weekend for a Lionsgate release in North America (not all the Hunger Games had Imax in their opening suites). Overseas Imax on Michael is $10.6M. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tIf the movie is going to go over $100M in U.S.\/Canda, that depends on today, but currently, the movie posted the best opening for a live-action movie YTD ahead of Project Hail Mary ($80.5M). <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tSimply put, Michael is a sensation with audiences dancing in the theater, and parents even bringing kids to watch the film and introduce them to Jackson. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tDespite the legal snafu between the estate and the accuser dramatized in the movie which delayed production, while such scandal is intrigue in Hollywood circles, the global moviegoing audience is agnostic to such inside baseball when making their ticket buying decisions. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tIn the drum beat for Michael, Lionsgate and Universal built a campaign that honored the King of Pop\u2019s legacy as a once-in-a-generation artist who redefined music, dance and fashion and turned into a tangible, real-world experience. The defining strategy was to\u00a0bring Michael\u2019s legacy into the physical world, blurring the lines between marketing and live experience. The film\u2019s outdoor stunts were meant to capitalize on where audiences gathered, moved and participated. The North America marketing campaign, I hear, was around $50M with iSpot reporting $7.9M spent on linear ads which reached 641M across Men\u2019s College Basketball, NBA, SportsCenter, re-runs of The Big Bang Theory and American Idol. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tWe already told you about the Berlin world premiere in early April at Uber Eats square where fans could watch the film in the language of their choice, and where there was essentially a multi-floored museum dedicated to Jackson\u2019s life and props and costumes from the film. The gist here was to connect audiences to touchstones of Jackson\u2019s life, which allowed fans a chance to relive their memories again as if experiencing them for the first time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThere were headline-making\u00a0\u201cDon\u2019t Walk, Moonwalk\u201d\u00a0flash mob dance activations, which transformed\u00a0city intersections in 20 different markets globally into live performance moments and\u00a0generating 23.4M+ views domestically alone.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-deadline-2019\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.jpg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/michael-jackson-marching-band.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-lazy- data-lazy- height=\"683\" width=\"1024\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tSouthern University Marching Band performs Jackson hits at A.W. Mumford Stadium on February 05, 2026 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring\/Getty Images for Lionsgate)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThere was also a first-of-its-kind HBCU marching band initiative\u00a0reinterpreted Jackson\u2019s music through a deeply rooted cultural lens, which yielded 8.4M+\u00a0views across social platforms.<\/p>\n<p>In NYC, there was a Complex pop-up gallery dedicated to the pic\u2019s release with artist Dimithry Victor, whose Michael-themed artwork brought the experience to life through a distinct creative lens. The gallery kicked off with a VIP tastemaker night with Jaafar Jackson. <\/p>\n<p>There were theater hologram installations across\u00a013 theaters and 40+ mall locations nationwide\u00a0that invited audiences to\u00a0learn and perform iconic dance moves from the movie from <a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/tag\/michael-jackson\/\" id=\"auto-tag_michael-jackson\" data-tag=\"michael-jackson\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Michael Jackson<\/a> choreographers Rich + Tone.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>There were Michael surprise dance troupe performance buses that roamed US cities,\u00a0a combination billboard\/live DJ set\u00a0on Sunset Boulevard featuring DJ D-Nice, traveling\u00a0DJ trucks\u00a0paying homage to the pic across markets nationwide including a surprise Dallas set with\u00a0Spinderella\u00a0and culminating in a finale interactive billboard \/ live DJ set at Hudson Yards with\u00a0Questlove\u00a0performing\u00a0(and\u00a0Colman Domingo and Nia Long joining him\u00a0onstage).<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-deadline-2019\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.jpg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Michael-Promo-photos-00000027.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-lazy- data-lazy- height=\"683\" width=\"1024\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tSpinderella \u2018Michael\u2019 DJ truck in Dallas, courtesy Lionsgate<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tAmong other marketing beats, Deadline first told you that the Michael trailer when it was dropped back in November was the most viewed ever in Lionsgate history with 116.2M views in its first 24 hours. Major asset debuts were timed to big events that coincided with Jackson career moments (Grammy Awards, Super Bowl and the anniversaries of \u201cBeat It\u201d and the Motown 25th Anniversary performance where MJ debuted the Moonwalk for the first time).<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tIn outdoor, there was an\u00a011-foot tall 3D statue\u00a0of Jackson built to cast a literal shadow over an experiential billboard on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood.\u00a0There was a revival of\u00a0\u201cMTV News with Bill Bellamy\u201d which aired, tapping into generational memories of iconic MTV Jackson moments, including the debut of both \u201cBillie Jean\u201d and \u201cThriller.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThe TikTok strategy\u00a0focused on introducing new generations of fans to Michael through fan-edits and other platform-centric content which overall delivered 298M-plus views, driven largely by For You Page discovery and remix culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tA\u00a0custom X partnership broke boundaries on the platform, including a first-to-market animated profile experience that showed Jackson dancing through the years and made use of the performer\u2019s iconic fedora by transforming the profile\u2019s \u201clike\u201d button into a fedora on the eve of release. And, of course, there was a push on Spotify of Jackson\u2019s catalog via Spotify The Stage, which used the app\u2019s streaming data to place global fans and music lovers into different Jackson eras, while also generating social-first shareable assets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tOverall, the Michael social campaign generated\u00a0564M+ views\u00a0to date across platforms. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tMore\u2026<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tSATURDAY AM: Well, it\u2019s clear, if you want to make the box office a better place, release a Michael Jackson biopic, and make a change. Lionsgate\u2019s Michael twirled up a $39.5M Friday U.S. in what\u2019s shaping up to be a $95M opening in North America, maybe even an epic $100M (which would be the second highest bow of the year behind Super Mario Galaxy Movie\u2018s $131M). Overseas Universal is reporting from 82 territories $111.4M (excluding Korea and Japan), add it all up and we\u2019re at $206.4M WW, which is the best opening YTD for a live-action MPA movie ahead of Project Hail Mary ($140.9M).   <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThat first day\/previews for Michael stateside as well as its opening weekend are the best Lionsgate has seen since 2015\u2019s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay \u2013 Part 2 ($45.5M), and far and away the best post Covid opening day and weekend the Santa Monica, CA studio has seen. Michael has easily won the dance-off between musical biopic openings, well ahead of Straight Outta Compton ($60.2M). Also, it\u2019s the biggest opening ever for director Antoine Fuqua, far ahead of Equalizer 2 ($36M). It\u2019s also the biggest opening for producer Graham King ahead of both World War Z ($66.4M) and Bohemian Rhapsody ($51M), as well as screenwriter John Logan, besting the 007 title Skyfall ($88.3M).<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tRELATED: <a data-id=\"1236870083\" data-type=\"post\" href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2026\/04\/box-office-global-michael-1236870083\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2026\/04\/box-office-global-michael-1236870083\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u2018Michael\u2019 Rocking The World Away With $44M+ Worldwide Running Cume As Foreign Rises To $31M+ \u2013 Box Office Update<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tBig cheers here for Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson, who got this tentpole across the finish line amid the legal snafus with the estate and the dramatized accuser, as well as the third act reshoots. Quite the needle to thread with the sweat paying off with a blockbuster here and the potential for a second film. History has shown that those movies that have the most challenging behind-the-scenes (i.e. The Godfather, Chinatown, Titanic) turn out to be the titles which are for the ages. Though Michael first arrived at the studio during the Joe Drake administration (many studios had passed as they feared the controversy of a Jackson biopic), Lionsgate had the guts to greenlight. It was a scenario similar to Hunger Games, which Lionsgate had the cajones to make as rivals were concerned about an IP in which kids fiercely battled with one another). Guts are clearly paying off, Lionsgate, and it\u2019s a testament to the culture that the studio\u2019s leadership has created. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u201cThis record-breaking performance is a testament to the incredible filmmaking team of producer Graham King and director Antoine Fuqua, an amazing cast led by Jaafar Jackson\u2019s singular performance, our world-class partners at Universal, the cooperation and support of the Michael Jackson Estate, and our tireless and exceptionally talented Lionsgate team,\u201d beamed Fogelson in a statement this AM.\u00a0 \u201cAbove all, it reflects the tremendous outpouring of love and affection from moviegoers around the world, underscoring the strength and vitality of the theatrical box office. If you give audiences what they want, they will come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tRELATED: <a data-id=\"1235520083\" data-type=\"pmc-gallery\" href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/gallery\/highest-grossing-movies-all-time\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The 60 Movies That Have Made More Than $1 Billion At The Global Box Office<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tSo far overseas, Michael is No. 1 in 64 territories, setting all-time opening weekend records for a musical biopic in 63 of those.\u00a0Top performing countries are UK ($13.8M by Sunday); France (estimated cume of $10.3M by Sunday); Mexico ($9.3M by Sunday); Italy (estimated $8.1M by Sunday); and Germany ($6.9M by Sunday).\u00a0The pic rolls out in the hot Jackson territory of Japan via Kino and Lionsgate in June.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tCinemaScore after Friday night polling for Michael remains A-, but on Screen Engine\/Comscore\u2019s PostTrak, definite recommend has risen to 84% and a 90% positive. Wow. Kids under 12 graded the movie 88% positive and a 62% must-see-right-away.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tImax and premium large format screens are driving a massive 48% of U.S. weekend ticket sales (16% from Imax alone, 32% from PLFs). Michael is dancing the night away everywhere across the country, but he\u2019s strong in the East, South and South Central. The Regal Atlantic Station in Atlanta, GA is the movie\u2019s top grossing location so far with $130K. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tBlack moviegoers are still leading at 38%, followed by Latino\/Hispanic at 26%, Caucasian 24% and Asian at 6%. Still a very female leaning movie at 61%. Broken down demos are women over 25 at 41% (92% positive); men over 25 at 24% (89% positive), women under 25 at 20% (93% positive) and men under 25 at 15% (84% positive). <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThe weekend for all movies is coming in at $149.7M, which is up +2% over the same frame a year ago (Sinners was leading in weekend 2 with $45.7M, followed by the 20th Anniversary of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith with $25.4M and the opening of The Accountant 2 at $24.5M).<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThe entire U.S.\/Canada box office is clicking past $2.6 billion, +17% over the Jan. 1-April 26 period a year ago. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tDomestic chart as of Saturday AM:<\/p>\n<p>Michael (LG) 3,955 theaters, Fri $39.5M 3-day $95M\/Wk 1<\/p>\n<p>Super Mario Galaxy Movie (Uni) 3,732 (-552) theaters Fri $4.5M (-40%), 3-day $20.5M (-44%), Total $385.7M\/Wk 4<\/p>\n<p>Project Hail Mary (Amz) 3,510 (-310) theaters, Fri $3.2M (-37%) 3-day $12.1M (-41%), Total $304.3M\/Wk 6<\/p>\n<p>Lee Cronin\u2019s The Mummy (NL) 3,304 theaters, Fri $1.6M (-70%), 3-day $5.5M (-59%), Total $23.3M\/Wk 2<\/p>\n<p>The Drama (A24) 1,822 (-807) theaters, Fri $816K (-46%) 3-day $2.6M (-47%), Total $44.7M\/Wk 4<\/p>\n<p>Hoppers (Dis) 2,000 (-475) theaters, Fri $370K (-41%) 3-day $1.83M (-40%), Total $164M\/Wk 8<\/p>\n<p>Over Your Dead Body (IFC) 1,550 theaters, Fri $700K, 3-day $1.5M\/Wk 1<\/p>\n<p>Mother Mary (A24) 1,103 (+1,098) Fri $551K (+687%), 3-day $1.3M, Total $1.5M\/Wk 2<\/p>\n<p>You, Me &amp; Tuscany (Uni) 2,115 (-1,042) theaters, Fri $420K (-63%)\/3-day $1.4M (-64%), Cume $17.5M\/Wk 3<\/p>\n<p>Fuze (RSA) 1,164 theaters Fri $566K, 3-day $1.1M\/Wk 1<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tHearing soft numbers on A24\u2019s expansion of David Lowery\u2019s music drama Mother Mary starring Anne Hathaway in addition to Fuze. Directed by David Mackenzie, Fuze comes from the director of Hell or High Water and centers around an unexploded WWII bomb which is discovered on a busy construction site in the centre of London. Chaos ensues as the military and police begin a mass evacuation against a ticking clock. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Sam Worthington and Gugu Mbatha-Raw star. The pic is 77% certified fresh with critics. Critics are 68% fresh on Mother Mary which follows a pop star (Hathaway) reuniting with her best friend and former costume designer (Michaela Coel), which opens up a lot of wounds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tMore\u2026<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto\" src=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/wp-content\/themes\/pmc-deadline-2019\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.jpg\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/MCDMICH_LG027.jpg\" alt=\"Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in 'Michael' (2026)\" data-lazy- data-lazy- height=\"576\" width=\"1024\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tJaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in \u2018Michael\u2019 (2026)<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGlen Wilson\/Lionsgate\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tFRIDAY MIDDAY: The first numbers for Lionsgate\u2019s Michael are in and it\u2019s shaping up to be a $35M-$40M Friday, which includes those $12.6M previews. The Friday through Sunday range is $85M-$95M, and there\u2019s a path to higher, it just boils down whether this is fan-frontloaded. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t\u201cSomething special is happening, people are dancing in the theaters,\u201d says one source close to the film. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tEasily that start is the best for Lionsgate post Covid besting John Wick: Chapter 4 ($73.8M), and of course that completes the record opening for a musical biopic previously held by Universal\u2019s Straight Outta Compton ($60.2M). <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tLooking back at 2018\u2019s Bohemian Rhapsody, also produced by Michael producer Graham King (who clearly knows how to dramatize and navigate complex performers\u2019 stories for the big screen, working feasibly with their estates), that pic posted a Friday\/previews figure of $18.8M and then stayed even in its Saturday with $18.8M for a $51M North American debut.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tSocial media analytics firm RelishMix measured 417.9M Michael followers across TikTok, YouTube, X, Facebook, and Instagram, which is very strong and 2.2X above music bio-pic genre norms and such musical biopics (pre-opening) as Elvis (278.6M), Bohemian Rhapsody (242.1M), Rocketman (113.5M) but also biopics like House of Gucci (407M). Jaafar Jackson\u2019s growing social network is activated \u2014 and has built to 500K fans \u2014 plus Nia Long at 10M, Laura Harrier at 1.5M, Coleman Domingo at 1.5M and Juliano Krue Valdi at 1.4M.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tReports RelishMix, \u201cConvo runs positive for\u00a0Michael,\u00a0with fans treating trailers like a time machine and the casting as emotional insurance; \u2018I literally just got shivers and goosebumps.\u2019 Legacy worship is loud and specific, framing MJ as untouchable cultural capital; \u201cNo matter what anyone says about him\u2026 he changed the world\u2019 and \u2018Long live the KING of Music and Entertainment.\u2019 Craft nerds clock the mimicry, voice, and movement like a performance audit; \u2018The attention to detail in his movements is incredible\u2019 and \u2018That voice is spot on. I\u2019m impressed.\u2019 The family angle reads as authenticity and brand safety at once; \u2018Feels really fitting they have his nephew playing MJ\u2019 and \u2018He\u2019s a clone of\u00a0Michael.\u2019 Biopic comps show up as upside signals and expectations management; \u2018I loved\u00a0Bohemian Rhapsody\u2018 and \u2018as amazing as the\u00a0American Dream\u00a0movie.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tOverall, a strong weekend with spring\u2019s holdovers maintaining wind in their sales despite Michael\u2018s moonwalking at the B.O.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t2. Super Mario Galaxy Movie (Uni) 3,732 theaters Fri $4.6M 3-day $20.5M (-44%), Total $385.7M\/Wk 4<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t3. Project Hail Mary (Amz) 3,510 theaters, Fri $3M 3-day $12M (-41%), Total $304.2M\/Wk 6<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t4. Lee Cronin\u2019s The Mummy (NL\/WB) 3,304 theaters, Fri $1.5M, 3-day $5.1M (-62%), Total $22.9M\/Wk 2<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\t5. The Drama (A24) 1,989 theaters, Fri $800K 3-day $2.6M (-45%), Total $44.6M\/Wk 4<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tFRIDAY AM, AFTER EXCLUSIVE: Thriller Nights: \u2018Michael\u2019 Dancing To $12.6M In Previews, CinemaScore Currently \u2018A-\u2019 The previews for Lionsgate\u2019s Michael Jackson biopic Michael from Antoine Fuqua came in at $12.6 million. Of that amount, $3.8M came from the fan Imax\/PLF screenings Wednesday night.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tEarly PostTrak from Screen Engine and Comscore on Thursday night shows 5 stars, 88% positive and a massive 81% definite recommend, which Lionsgate can take to the ban; that\u2019s the big stat that indicates legs. Families repped 36% on Thursday, couples (married and non-married) repped 31%, with diversity demos showing Black moviegoers leading at 36%, Latino\/Hispanic and Caucasian tied at 25% apiece and 8% Asian American. It\u2019s female-leaning at 56% and a young crowd: 58% were under 35, with the 18-34 bunch at 55%. Fifty percent said they came because they\u2019re MJ fans (subject matter\/plot).<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tRotten Tomatoes audience score is still strong at 96%, but CinemaScore polled the preview audience on Wednesday and Michael received an A-. That\u2019s the same as musical biopics Elvis and Rocketman but a half-grade under Graham King\u2019s Bohemian Rhapsody, Straight Outta Compton and Bob Marley: One Love which all nabbed an A. CinemaScore usually polls the Friday night opening crowd and posts the results from that tonight. The cinema pollster apparently is doing another update for this pic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tWe\u2019ll have more updates for you later. Michael is booked at 3,955 domestic locations, including 1,700 Imax and premium large-format auditoriums.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThe rest of the week went down like this:<\/p>\n<p>The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (Uni) 4,284 theaters, Wk $45M (-46%), Total $365.3M\/Wk 3<\/p>\n<p>Project Hail Mary (AMZ) 3,820 theaters, Wk $27.5M (-15%), Total $292.2M\/Wk 5 <\/p>\n<p>Lee Cronin\u2019s The Mummy (NL) 3,304 theaters, Wk $17.8M\/Wk 1<\/p>\n<p>The Drama (A24) 2,629 theaters, Wk $7.1M (-44%), Total $41.9M\/Wk 3<\/p>\n<p>You, Me &amp; Tuscany (Uni) 3,157 theaters Wk $5.5M (-48%), Total $16.1M\/Wk 2  <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tEXCLUSIVE: The walk-up business for Lionsgate\u2019s Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, is doing significantly more than just easing down the road. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tEarlier tonight, we heard they were at $10 million, then $11M. Now the combined previews from yesterday\u2019s Imax\/PLF fan 6 p.m. showtimes, plus today\u2019s showtimes that began at noon, are between $12.5M-$13.5M per sources. That\u2019s easily the best ever for a musical biopic (Straight Outta Compton\u2018s preview cash was $4.96M, which translated into a record $60.2M start for the subgenre).<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tWe told you earlier today that we heard presales for the movie directed by Antoine Fuqua, produced by Graham King and written by John Logan were exceeding that of Project Hail Mary. And here we are with Michael showing better moves than Ryan Gosling and alien Rocky. That pic made $12M in combined previews, which led to an $80.5M opening.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tBut there\u2019s more: Michael\u2018s previews bury those of John Wick: Chapter 4 ($8.9M), which was the biggest opening for Lionsgate post-Covid, debuting to $73.8M. Arguably, Michael\u2018s preview cash is the best for Lionsgate since 2015\u2019s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 ($16M).<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tThere\u2019s a slew of other previews Michael is beating, i.e., Dune: Part Two ($12M), Toy Story 4 ($12M), A Minecraft Movie ($10.55M) and Oppenheimer ($10.5M) to name a few.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tA great sign for business: Michael is 96% with Rotten Tomatoes audiences, burying its 40% critical score (film reviewers have clutched their pearls as Michael doesn\u2019t delve into the accusations leveled against the King of Pop). However, if you\u2019re a smart moviegoer, you\u2019ll notice the groundwork  Fuqua is laying for a part two.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto     \">\n\tWe told you yesterday that the first day plus previews for Michael <a href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2026\/04\/box-office-global-michael-1236870083\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">abroad via Universal was $18.5M<\/a>; the pic is breaking records for a musical biopic on day one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SUNDAY AM: Refresh for more..Lionsgate\u2018s Michael this morning is sliding in at $97M domestic, and $217.4M worldwide. $120.4M&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":607771,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[88,14968,27354,27355,260473,206],"class_list":["post-607770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-entertainment","tag-lionsgate","tag-michael","tag-michael-jackson","tag-michael-movie","tag-movies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/607770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=607770"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/607770\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/607771"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=607770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=607770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=607770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}