'Michael' eyes record-breaking opening after $39.5m start

Michael kicked off its box office run with a strong $39.5 million start, putting it on track to deliver the biggest opening weekend ever for a music biopic.

The Lionsgate release, based on the life of Michael Jackson, drew significant early audiences through a mix of preview screenings and opening-day sales. Industry projections indicated the film was heading toward a $65 million to $70 million debut, which would set a new benchmark for the genre.

If the estimates hold, Michael would surpass previous music biopic openings, signaling strong audience interest in Jackson's story and enduring cultural impact. The film's performance was bolstered by premium formats like IMAX, which contributed to higher ticket sales.

The biopic entered a competitive marketplace, facing off against holdover hit The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which continued to draw large crowds following its successful run in theaters. Despite that competition, Michael maintained strong momentum heading into the weekend.

With a solid start and high projections, the film positioned itself not only as a commercial success for Lionsgate but also as a potential record-setter in the music biopic category, as final weekend numbers were expected to confirm its standing.

Earlier versions of the film's script involved the child sexual abuse accusations against Jackson, with King saying he wanted to "humanize but not sanitize and present the most compelling, unbiased story". Domingo said Michael was not "trying to prove his innocence" but was "just trying to give a great examination of an artist, what made the artist who he is, what makes him complicated, for you to leave with your own answers".

According to Variety, one version of the script opened in medias res in 1993 following the first allegations, with Jackson staring at his reflection as police arrive at his home in Neverland Ranch. The third act dealt with the impact of the allegations on Jackson's life. Dan Reed, the director of the 2019 documentary Leaving Neverland, which documents later allegations against Jackson, read a leaked script and was "astonished that the estate had the confidence to directly try and address the child sexual abuse allegations", saying it contained "outright distortions". However, all references to the allegations were removed after a clause was discovered in a settlement with one of Jackson's accusers, Jordan Chandler, forbidding any mention of Chandler in film. Rewrites were delayed after Logan's house was damaged in the Palisades Fire.

The final script ends with Jackson beginning the Bad tour, before the first allegations arose. Domingo said this was to focus on Jackson's rise and peak. Long said it highlighted Jackson's early journey and achievements while leaving the remainder of his life for a possible sequel. Fuqua expressed skepticism about the allegations, saying "sometimes people do some nasty things for some money".

Paris Jackson had no involvement in the film and described an early script as "sugar-coated", adding that Hollywood biopics often shape narratives and contain inaccuracies. In response, Domingo expressed hope that the film would honor her father. Michael Jackson's siblings Janet, Randy and Rebbie do not appear in the film; according to La Toya, Janet "kindly declined" to be included.

Principal photography was scheduled to begin in mid-2023 and take place over 80 days in Santa Barbara, California. It was projected to spend $120 million on crew wages and vendors, according to the California Film Commission. Filming was delayed in September 2023 due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Filming began on January 22, 2024, and ended on May 30, 2024. Dion Beebe was the cinematographer, Barbara Ling the production designer, and Marci Rodgers the costume designer.

After the script was rewritten to remove references to the abuse allegations, reshoots took place in June 2025, lasting 22 days. Lionsgate denied reports that the film was in "chaos". Following reshoots, the budget reportedly grew to $200 million, with the new sequences adding a new ending costing roughly $50 million. However, Variety reported that the reshoots only added $10-15 million to the budget, funded by the Jackson estate.