The latest box office numbers for the Michael Jackson movie reveal an important lesson about the audience.
Michael continues to be a smash hit around the world. In its second weekend in theaters, Michael pulled in a whopping $54 million domestically and $134.8 million globally. According to Box Office Mojo, Michael has grossed $423 million and counting.
Michael is already the second-highest-grossing musical biopic of all time and has a realistic chance of surpassing Bohemian Rhapsody ($911 million) for the record.
There is a clear divide between audiences and critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, Michael has a 39% from critics but a 97% from audiences. In this case, negative reviews did not matter. Audiences clearly wanted to relive some of Jackson’s most iconic musical moments, from his days in the Jackson 5 to his Thriller performances. Stronger reviews but fewer crowd-pleasing moments would have probably led to less financial success.
The withholding of the legal issues also played a factor in Michael’s success. Originally, Michael’s third act was going to tackle the child sexual abuse allegations against Jackson. However, a legal settlement forced Lionsgate to reshoot the entire ending. The movie ends in the late 1980s and does not address the allegations against Jackson that surfaced in the 1990s.
What lesson can we learn from Michael’s box office success?
Is it possible that a Michael movie that tackled the sexual abuse allegations could have been as financially successful as the movie Lionsgate released? Sure, but it’s highly unlikely. The controversial topics would have negatively impacted Michael’s box office total. Audiences want to have a good time at the movies and enjoy Jackson’s music rather than deal with the singer’s more controversial side, and the numbers reflect that sentiment.
Look at the recent failure of Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere. The film focused on Springsteen’s personal life and issues that plagued his career in the 1980s, such as depression. The film grossed $45 million on a $55 million budget. If the movie had been more of a tribute to Springsteen’s most iconic performances in the same vein as Michael and Bohemian Rhapsody, it would probably have connected with audiences more.
Pleasing the audience matters most, and Michael is a perfect example of making sure the audience leaves happy and fulfilled, even if critics would’ve liked a more nuanced watch that dived into deeper issues.
