'Michael' reclaims No.1, tops $700 million

Lionsgate’s “Michael” returned to the top of the North American box office on Sunday, May 17, with $26.1 million in ticket sales in its fourth weekend, according to studio estimates reported by the Associated Press. Variety reported the Michael Jackson biopic also crossed $700 million worldwide over the same frame, while Deadline said the film delivered an $83 million global weekend. The movie had trailed “The Devil Wears Prada 2” for the previous two weekends before moving back to No. 1. The latest numbers add to a fast run for a film that opened with $97 million domestically and $217 million globally in late April, according to Variety. By Sunday, The Numbers listed “Michael” at $282.8 million domestic through May 17, and Xinhua, citing Comscore, reported a worldwide total of about $703.9 million. ### How did “Michael” get back to No. 1 this weekend? (kark.com) The Associated Press said “Michael” reclaimed first place after two weekends behind “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” posting $26.1 million in North America. Deadline’s Sunday update put the domestic weekend at roughly $26 million and said the worldwide frame reached $83 million. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” finished second with about $18 million in North America, according to AP and UPI’s report based on Box Office Mojo data. (variety.com) The rest of the domestic top five included “Obsession” at $16.1 million, “Mortal Kombat II” at $13.4 million and “The Sheep Detectives” at $9.3 million. ### What pushed the worldwide total above $700 million? (kark.com) Variety reported on May 17 that “Michael” had “cleared a major box office milestone” with more than $700 million globally. Forbes, citing weekend box-office figures, put the worldwide total at $703 million, and Xinhua reported $703.9 million, citing Comscore. The domestic share of that total stood at $282.8 million through Sunday, according to The Numbers, leaving the bulk of the gross from international markets. (kark.com) Deadline’s $83 million worldwide weekend figure indicates the film continued to draw heavily overseas as it entered its fourth frame. ### Who is behind the film? “Michael” is a Lionsgate release directed by Antoine Fuqua and stars Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson, according to Box Office Mojo and multiple weekend box-office reports. (variety.com) Variety described the film as a biopic about the pop star that has become one of the year’s biggest theatrical releases so far. Variety’s opening-weekend report said the film arrived in theaters as an “instant sensation” with the biggest debut for a music biopic. (the-numbers.com) That early start gave the movie a large base before its latest return to the top spot. ### How does this weekend fit into the film’s run so far? April 26 marked the film’s opening weekend, when Variety reported $97 million domestic and $217 million global. (boxofficemojo.com) Three weeks later, the movie had added nearly $486 million worldwide, based on the roughly $703 million total reported on May 17. Sunday’s domestic chart from The Numbers showed “Michael” still playing in 3,560 theaters, with a daily gross of $8.18 million on May 17 alone. (variety.com) Those figures suggest the film remains widely booked in North America even after its initial surge. ### What comes next for the box-office tally? Comscore’s final weekend rankings and studio actuals typically follow Sunday estimates, which can shift totals slightly after May 17. (variety.com) Lionsgate’s next reported milestone will be whether “Michael” extends further beyond the roughly $703 million worldwide mark as the theatrical run continues this week. (english.news.cn) (the-numbers.com)