The “King of Pop” is reigning supreme at the Indian box office. Jaafar Jackson’s debut film, Michael, witnessed a massive surge on its second day, proving that Michael Jackson’s legacy remains an unmatched draw for Indian audiences.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the biopic collected ₹5.00 crore net on Saturday, marking a significant 38.9% jump from its Friday opening. This brings the total India net collection to ₹10.30 crore within just two days of its release.
IMAX and Evening Shows Lead the Charge
The film’s performance was bolstered by premium formats and strong evening turnouts. While the English 2D version saw a healthy overall occupancy of 29.58%, the IMAX 2D screenings were the real standout, recording a staggering 44.14% occupancy. Night shows for the biopic peaked at nearly 35%, with major metros like Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru showing the highest engagement. In national cinema chains (PVR, INOX, and Cinepolis), Michael sold approximately 45,000 tickets on Saturday alone, contributing nearly ₹2 crore to the day’s total.
Outperforming the Competition: Michael vs. Project Hail Mary
The musical drama has effectively sidelined other Hollywood contenders. On its opening day, Michael earned ₹3.80 crore net, comfortably beating the ₹2.25 crore debut of the sci-fi epic Project Hail Mary. While Ryan Gosling’s space adventure has shown resilience in urban centers over the last month, the sheer scale and nostalgia of the MJ biopic have allowed it to claim the title of the biggest Hollywood opener in India for 2026 so far.
Global Phenomenon: Surpassing Oppenheimer in the US
The success isn’t restricted to the Indian subcontinent. In North America, Michael shattered records by earning $39.5 million on its first day across nearly 4,000 theaters. This feat makes it the biggest opening day for a biopic in history, surpassing Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer ($33 million). Despite mixed critical reviews—with some critics calling the 155-minute runtime “underwhelming”—the audience response has been overwhelmingly positive, boasting a 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and near-perfect ratings on Chinese platforms like Maoyan.