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Michael Jackson biopic debuts atop North American box office with $97 million
via Punch Nigeria2 min read
The highly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic, "Michael," directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Jaafar Jackson, the pop star's nephew, opened at number one at the North American box office this weekend, earning $97 million. Industry analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research noted this as a record-shattering opening for a musical biography. While the film has strong audience approval and is seen as a feel-good, nostalgic appreciation, critics have given it weak reviews, with many feeling it is superficial and avoids complicated aspects of Jackson's life, including allegations of sexual misbehavior. Globally, the film has already grossed nearly $220 million. Other top-performing films at the North American box office included "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" in second place with $21.2 million, bringing its global total to over $775 million. "Project Hail Mary" secured third place with $13.2 million, and "Lee Cronin’s The Mummy" was fourth with $5.6 million. "The Drama" took fifth place with an additional $2.6 million, reaching a global total of $80 million.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
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