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

Photo Credit: Lionsgate Films (United States) / Universal Pictures (International)

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.

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