Michael movie's box office predictions and early Rotten Tomatoes audience score revealed
The long-awaited Michael Jackson biopic is out now in cinemas.
The Michael Jackson movie is proving to be a thriller – with the film set to break records for musical biopics.
The controversial movie, which tracks the life of the iconic singer from his early years through to 1988 and stars the singer’s nephew in the titular role, has been released internationally this week.
But while critics panned Michael – with Radio Times giving it only 2 out of 5 stars – viewers have seen it more favourably.
On Rotten Tomatoes, while the critics “Fresh” score only rates the movie at 40 per cent (making certified “Rotten” on their barometer), fans have been heaping it with praise.
The same site’s Popcornmeter (which takes into account fan rankings and reviews), now stands at an almost-perfect 96 per cent for Michael, after 1,000 contributions.
The favourable reviews have also been reflected in initial box office figures.
According to Deadline, US early release figures have the film earning between $12.5 million to $13.5 million in previews alone. It makes the preview result the best ever result for a musical biopic, significantly beating NWA’s 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton, which earned $4.96 million in previews.
The amount comes neck-and-neck with blockbuster Project Hail Mary, which came in at $12 million in previous and $80 million across opening weekends.
Producer and director Antoine Fuqua, as well as the creative team, has already teased that a second movie could already be in the works.
If it happens, it would likely incorporate the late '80s and '90s of Jackson's career, including his later four albums Bad, Dangerous, HIStory and Invincible. It would also likely involve the allegations made against the star.
At the premiere of Michael, Jafaar Jackson confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that a sequel was in early development.
Late last year, Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate's Motion Picture Group, said (via The Hollywood Reporter) that while the studio wasn't "ready to confirm plans for a second film" he could confirm that the creative team was "hard at work making sure that we’re in a position to deliver more Michael soon after we release the first film".
Michael is out now in UK Cinemas.
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Authors
Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist whose coverage ranges from reality shows like Love Is Blind to sci-fi shows like Fallout. She is an NCTJ Gold Standard accredited journalist, who has previously worked as Deputy TV Editor (maternity cover) at Digital Spy, and Deputy TV & Showbiz Editor at Daily Express US.
