‘Michael’ rocks global box office and sets record for biggest opening weekend for a biopic

Michael danced into the number one spot at the global box office, receiving a record $217 million in its opening weekend. The film also became the number one movie in the Philippines during its opening weekend, landing locally as the second best start, behind Bohemian Rhapsody, to a biopic.

Michael also holds second place for the biggest worldwide debut of the year, behind The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

The movie's box office performance is definitely beating the negative reviews. Despite the harsh reviews from critics (it currently only has 38% positive feedback on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences were not easily swayed. They strongly disagreed with majority of the critics and moonwalked into cinemas.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Michael depicts the pop icon's early days as a member of the Jackson 5 and his journey towards becoming the King of Pop. Critics mainly complained at the sanitized exploration of the singer's life especially because the movie didn't touch the child sexual abuse allegations that plagued the star during the latter part of his career. 

The movie's budget was almost $200 million, making it one of the most expensive biopics in history. With the recent weekend opening results, Michael has proven that it is worth its hefty price tag.

In celebration of the film and the life of a legendary musician, Universal Pictures Philippines turned the groove on as the most talented dancers from the International Dance League held a Michael-themed flashmob in front of SM Megamall. The dance sequence, choreographed by award winning instructor Will “Big Will” Simmons, had Filipino dancers show off their skills with some of Michael Jackson’s iconic moves.