Los Angeles: ‘Michael’, the much-talked-about Michael Jackson biopic, recently arrived in theatres, making a sensational USD 97 million domestically and USD 217 globally in its first weekend of release, reported Variety. The ticket sales take the film’s rank as the best start of all time for a biopic, beating the record set by 2015’s ‘Straight Outta Compton’.

It also towered above 2018’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, which opened with USD 51 million and eventually earned USD 910 million worldwide by the end of its run.

Meanwhile, ‘Michael’ has also notched to become the second-biggest debut of the year, trailing behind ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’, as per Variety.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua and produced by Lionsgate, Michael features Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s nephew, in the lead role.

The ensemble cast also includes Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, Nia Long as Katherine Jackson, along with Miles Teller, Laura Harrier, and Larenz Tate.

The biopic’s release has reignited discussion around Michael Jackson’s legacy, which remains polarised due to his global musical influence and long-standing legal controversies.

While fans continue to celebrate his artistic impact, critics have pointed to the complexity of portraying his life on screen.

Jaafar Jackson, speaking about the film in an interview cited by People magazine, described his experience watching it, saying, “As soon as it came on, it was a completely different experience than what I thought it was going to be. It went by so fast… the second time I saw it was a completely different experience. I was able to understand what the story is and really allow myself to enjoy what’s on the screen.”