The much-anticipated biopic on the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, titled 'Michael' and starring Jaafar Jackson in the lead, opened to a strong start at the Indian box office, giving Indian films a run for their money.
Opening Day Collection
According to reports on Sacnilk, the film collected an estimated Rs 5.50 crore net on its first day. Early estimates indicate that the film earned Rs 3.80 crore across 3,029 shows on Day 1, with an additional Rs 1.70 crore coming from paid preview screenings on Thursday. This brings the total opening day collection to approximately Rs 5.50 crore.
The report highlights that the film narrowly missed surpassing the second-Friday earnings of 'Bhooth Bangla', headlined by Akshay Kumar. The Hollywood biopic fell short by just Rs 25 lakh compared to the horror-comedy's collection of Rs 5.75 crore on the same day.
Comparison with Other Films
Meanwhile, 'Dhurandhar 2', starring Ranveer Singh, was seen lagging behind as it entered its sixth weekend. According to the report, the film earned an estimated Rs 1.60 crore on Friday.
Production and Reception
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, 'Michael' chronicles the life of the late King of Pop Michael Jackson and is mounted on a reported production budget of USD 200 million. Although the film opened to a low critics rating of 27%, it scored big among fans of the late pop icon. The same is reflected in the box office numbers.
International Box Office Projections
Internationally, the film is eyeing a worldwide debut of around USD 150 million. Sacnilk reports that the film could earn an estimated USD 65-70 million from the North American box office alone. This could help the film achieve one of the highest collections for a musical biopic, surpassing the opening figures of 'Straight Outta Compton' (USD 60.2 million) and 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (USD 51 million).
The film is also expected to rake in significant revenue from overseas markets, earning an estimated USD 75–80 million across 82 territories.
Global Debut Ranking
'Michael' is thus set to rank among the top global openers of 2026 and could emerge as one of the biggest debuts for a musical biographical drama.
