‘Michael’ Stays Strong at No. 1 in Japan Despite Storms and Earthquake

Even natural disasters couldn’t deter fans from seeing ‘Michael’ in Japan this weekend. Despite facing two storms and an earthquake on Saturday, the King of Pop’s biopic maintained its position at the top of the Japanese box office. Box office analyst Luiz Fernando reported an estimated $1.7 million in earnings on its third Saturday, marking a modest drop of just 27.5% from the previous weekend, bringing its cumulative total in Japan to $23.1 million.

This impressive performance has quickly established ‘Michael’ as one of the standout Hollywood films of the year in Japan. The film is projected to earn between $3.6 million and $4.6 million during its third three-day weekend, with industry observers noting overwhelmingly positive word of mouth. With these figures, it has now ascended to third place among the highest-grossing Hollywood releases of the year in Japan.

The film’s rollout in Japan began with a remarkable opening Friday, grossing $2.3 million, including the previous week’s limited preview earnings. This made it the second-largest Hollywood opening day of the year in the territory, only behind ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2,’ and more than double ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’s’ opening-day earnings in the market. The successful launch set the stage for a run that has consistently exceeded expectations.

Japan has always had a unique bond with Michael Jackson’s music and legacy. Lionsgate collaborated with local distributor Kino for the Japanese theatrical release, a strategic decision aimed at maximizing the film’s impact in a market identified early on as crucial for crossing the global billion-dollar mark.

Globally, the film is approaching $970 million, experiencing a slower week-on-week increase compared to earlier in its run. It has already surpassed ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’s’ lifetime worldwide gross, overtaking its $910.9 million total to become the highest-grossing music biopic ever, with $358.6 million from domestic markets and over $553 million from international territories.

Reaching $1 billion globally would make ‘Michael’ only the second film to achieve this milestone at the worldwide box office this year, following Universal’s ‘Super Mario Galaxy Movie.’ Japan’s ongoing contribution to the cumulative total is now a key factor in determining whether this landmark is reached.

The fact that audiences in Japan continued to support ‘Michael’ through storms and seismic activity highlights a connection that no marketing campaign could replicate. It reflects the deep bond this film has forged with viewers in a market that has historically embraced the King of Pop more passionately than almost anywhere else.

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