The biopic based on Michael Jackson, titled Michael, has been released in theatres and its opening day performance is getting attention. Early box office numbers show that while there is interest among audiences, the response is not very strong in all regions.
The film was released on Friday, with some paid previews held the evening before. In India, it had a steady but modest start. According to Sacnilk, the film earned Rs 3.8 crore net on its first day. The paid previews added another Rs 1.7 crore, taking the total India net collection to Rs 5.5 crore. The gross collection stands at Rs 6.6 crore.
The film was shown in 3,029 shows across the country. Overall occupancy on the first day was 21.86 percent. There was a gradual increase in audience turnout during the day. Morning shows recorded 16.78 percent occupancy, which increased to 20.11 percent in the afternoon. Evening shows reached 23.11 percent, and night shows saw the highest occupancy at 27.44 percent.
Looking at city wise performance, Delhi NCR had the highest number of shows at 295, but the occupancy was low at 8 percent. On the other hand, Hyderabad showed better interest, with 240 shows and an occupancy of 26 percent.
In international markets, the film performed much better. Reports suggest that it earned between $35 million and $40 million on Friday in the United States, including $12.6 million from paid previews. These numbers are higher than the opening figures of Bohemian Rhapsody, which had collected $18.8 million from previews and its first day.
The preview earnings of Michael also did better than films like John Wick Chapter 4 with $8.9 million, A Minecraft Movie with $10.55 million, and Oppenheimer with $10.5 million.
The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua. In India, its performance is slightly better than some recent Hollywood releases like Project Hail Mary, which earned Rs 2.25 crore on its opening day.
However, competition from local films is affecting its run. Bhooth Bangla continues to perform steadily and collected Rs 5.75 crore on its eighth day. At the same time, Dhurandhar The Revenge, starring Ranveer Singh, added Rs 1.6 crore on day 38.
Despite a strong start globally, the film is still behind some of the biggest Hollywood openings in India, such as Avatar The Way of Water with Rs 40.3 crore, Spider Man No Way Home with Rs 32.67 crore, and Oppenheimer with Rs 14.5 crore.