Jaafar Jackson’s Michael has opened to a strong global box office performance, driven by a $39.5 million first-day haul in North America and steady weekend growth in India, positioning the Michael Jackson biopic as one of the notable international releases of the year.

In India, the film has collected ₹10.30 crore net within two days of release. It opened at ₹3.60 crore on Friday and saw a sharp rise to ₹5.00 crore on Saturday, reflecting improving audience turnout across major centres. The growth trend suggests increasing word-of-mouth traction despite a competitive release window.

Occupancy levels also improved on the second day, particularly in premium formats. The IMAX 2D version recorded stronger demand compared to standard screenings, with evening shows crossing the 50 percent mark. The film expanded to over 3,000 screenings across the country, with multiplex chains contributing a major share of ticket sales.

Internationally, Michael delivered a record-breaking start in North America. The film earned $39.5 million on its opening day across nearly 4,000 theatres, marking the biggest opening-day performance ever for a biographical film. It has also added $12.6 million from preview shows, with industry estimates projecting a domestic opening weekend between $90 million and $100 million.

The film’s global reception shows a clear divide between audiences and critics. While audience feedback has been largely positive in multiple markets, including strong ratings in China, critical reviews have been more reserved, citing uneven storytelling despite strong performances and large-scale production values.

The biopic has been produced on a reported budget of $155 million. A significant portion of the budget went into music rights and recreating large-scale concert sequences central to Michael Jackson’s career. The production also underwent reshoots in its final phase following legal and creative adjustments.