Word of mouth has been so strong for “Michael” that its remarkably steady week-to-week momentum has barely relented.
It’s come to the point where “Michael” is now set to reclaim the #1 spot at the box office in its fourth weekend of release. The smash hit from Lionsgate is projected to earn around $25M this weekend after pulling in an estimated $7M on Friday alone.
This weekend, the film is playing in 3,560 theaters nationwide. Its domestic total has now climbed to $316M. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” will finish second, “Mortal Kombat 2” third, and “Obsession” fourth.
Internationally, “Michael” is still gaining ground. The film officially opened in South Korea this weekend via Universal Pictures and has now reached an estimated $400M overseas through Friday. By the end of the weekend, the film’s global total is expected to climb to approximately $703M worldwide.
This is still without a much-anticipated release in Japan, which is widely seen as one of the top Michael Jackson markets in the world. I figure this one will hit $900M worldwide very soon, with a real shot at $1 billion by the end of its run.
This film’s legs are highly impressive, driven by repeat customers and curiosity seekers who initially held back from buying a ticket to see it. It also helps that this is exactly the kind of movie audiences prioritize seeing on the big screen instead of waiting for it to arrive on streaming.
Now, “Michael 2” — which some are sarcastically saying should be called “Jackson” — is no longer a matter of if, but when. More than 30% of the sequel’s footage has already been shot, and the goal now is to find time to reunite the entire cast — potentially without director Antoine Fuqua — and complete the remainder of the film.