Michael biopic breaks April box office record with $210m opening weekend globally

LOS ANGELES — "Michael," the long-awaited biographical drama about pop superstar Michael Jackson, opened to a staggering $210 million at the global box office this weekend, setting a new record for an April release and confirming Lionsgate's biggest theatrical debut in the studio's history.

The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson — the late singer's nephew — earned $87.3 million in North America from 4,125 theaters and $122.7 million internationally across 78 markets, according to figures released Sunday afternoon by Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chair Adam Fogelson.

"This is a generational moment for moviegoing," Fogelson said in a statement. "Audiences came out in numbers we haven't seen for a music biopic since 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' and the international response has been simply extraordinary."

Produced by Graham King, whose credits include the Oscar-winning Queen biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Michael" carried a production budget industry sources peg between $150 million and $200 million, with global marketing spend pushing total costs above $250 million. The opening haul places it well ahead of the previous April record set by "The Jungle Book" in 2016, which earned $191 million worldwide on debut, and exceeds the $180 million pre-weekend tracking ceiling published by Boxoffice Pro on Thursday.

King, speaking by phone from London, called the result "the culmination of nearly a decade of work" and praised his lead actor. "Jaafar didn't imitate his uncle — he inhabited him. The audiences felt that, and the numbers reflect it."

The film performed especially strongly in the United Kingdom ($18.4 million), Japan ($14.2 million) and Mexico ($11.7 million), markets where Jackson's catalogue has retained enduring popularity. PostTrak exit polling gave the film an 87% positive score and a "definite recommend" of 76%, with CinemaScore awarding an "A" grade. Opening-weekend audiences skewed older, with 62% of ticket buyers over the age of 35.

Industry analyst Shawn Robbins of Box Office Theory said the opening "resets expectations for the rest of the spring corridor" and projected a global run of $700 million or more. Two people familiar with the matter said Warner Bros. has begun internal discussions about shifting one of its May tentpoles to avoid direct competition with "Michael" in its second and third weekends.

Lionsgate shares rose 8.1% in pre-market trading Monday. The studio is scheduled to report quarterly earnings on May 21. A sequel covering the latter portion of Jackson's career remains in active development at Lionsgate, with King attached to produce.