The Michael Jackson biopic has made a stunning start at the box office, both in India and globally. Despite receiving negative reviews, the film has broken box-office records for musical biopics worldwide. In India, where Michael Jackson was a huge star in his lifetime, fans have turned up in large numbers, making the film the number 1 at the Indian box office, surpassing strong local releases.
The film, starring Jaafar Jackson as the titular character, earned ₹2.40 crore gross in paid previews and ₹4+ crore gross on day 1 in India, with a total collection of ₹5.50 crore net. This is the best start for a musical biopic in the Indian market, beating the likes of Elvis and Bohemian Rhapsody.
Michael Jackson's biopic not only outperformed the competing Bollywood release, Ginny Wedss Sunny 2, but also beat the collections of Bhooth Bangla and Dhurandhar 2, the other two big Bollywood films running in theatres. On Friday, compared to Michael's ₹5.50 crore, Ginny Wedss Sunny 2 earned a paltry ₹30 lakh.
The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, has also made waves globally, opening to $30 million overseas, including $700K from India. In most markets, the film has set the record for the best start for a musical biopic.
