‘Michael’ Maintains Japan’s Top Box Office Position with Rising Numbers
The Michael Jackson biopic ‘Michael’ continues to demonstrate its international success, maintaining its number one position at Japan’s box office into its second weekend. According to box office analyst Luiz Fernando on X, the film grossed an estimated $1.2 million on its second Friday, marking a modest 38.8% drop from its opening day and bringing its cumulative total in Japan to $13.6 million.
Opening with approximately $2.3 million on its first Friday, ‘Michael’ achieved the second-largest Hollywood opening day of the year in Japan, only behind ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2.’ The film’s strong performance in its second week, without any major holidays affecting attendance, highlights its deep connection with Japanese audiences.
On a global scale, ‘Michael’ has already made history as the highest-grossing music biopic of all time, surpassing $911.9 million worldwide, which includes $358.6 million domestically and $553.3 million internationally. With its current trajectory in Japan, it is poised to cross the billion-dollar mark, potentially becoming only the second film to achieve this milestone at the global box office in 2026.
In Japan, the film’s audience score stands at 4.2 stars, which aligns closely with the metrics that ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ achieved during its own launch in the country, ultimately grossing $114 million there. If this trend continues, ‘Michael’ could be on track for a historic run in one of the world’s most music-loving cinema markets.
Luiz Fernando’s projections indicate that ‘Michael’ is likely to surpass ‘Wicked: For Good’s’ $13.9 million total in Japan by the end of its second weekend, positioning it as the fifth-highest-grossing Hollywood release of the year in the country. There’s potential for it to surpass both ‘Hoppers’ and ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ to claim the number three spot locally.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan, ‘Michael’ features Jaafar Jackson portraying his uncle, Michael Jackson, in this Lionsgate and Universal co-production. Producer Graham King has set a new benchmark, having previously produced ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ the Oscar-winning biopic that held the title for the highest-grossing music biopic.
Japan’s strong enthusiasm for ‘Michael’ reflects a long-standing affection for Michael Jackson’s legacy, which has historically outperformed other international markets for his releases. This cultural connection, along with positive word of mouth from local audiences, suggests that the film’s second weekend is just a stepping stone rather than a peak.
With its global earnings already in record territory and Japan continuing to build momentum, the King of Pop’s cinematic legacy shows no signs of slowing down.
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