EXCLUSIVE: The walk-up business for Lionsgate‘s Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, is doing significantly more than just easing down the road.
Earlier tonight we heard they were at $10M, then $11M, now the combined previews from yesterday’s Imax/PLF fan 6PM showtimes plus today’s showtimes which began today at 12noon are between $12.5M-$13.5M per sources. That’s easily the best ever for a musical biopic (Straight Outta Compton‘s preview cash was $4.96M, which translated into a $60.2M record start for the subgenre).
We told you earlier today that we heard presales for the Antonie Fuqua directed, Graham King produced, John Logan written movie 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.
But there’s more: Michael‘s 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‘s preview cash is the best for Lionsgate since 2015’s The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 ($16M).
There’s a slew of other previews which 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.
A 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’t delve into the accusations leveled against the King of Pop). However, if you’re a smart moviegoer, you’ll notice the groundwork which Fuqua is laying for part two.
We told you yesterday that the first day plus previews for Michael abroad via Universal was $18.5M; the pic is breaking records for a musical biopic on day one.