Michael Is a Box Office Smash Because It Gave Jackson Super-Fans What They Wanted — a Resurrection, Not a Crucifixion
IGN
—
Jukebox biopics such as Michael and Elvis exist not as referendums on complicated artists but as rituals for the most intense segments of fandom to commune with the dead.
The film’s lead actor – whether it’s Jafaar Jackson as his uncle Michael or Austin Butler as Presley – serves as the host-shaman who can miraculously summon the beloved icon back from the afterlife for one last command performance, with cinemas standing in as the churches where these quasi-religious experiences play out to the tune of hundreds of millions in ticket sales.
Michael Jackson biopic breaks records
- What the Michael Jackson movie leaves out Washington Post —
- Box Office: ‘Michael’ Soaring to Huge $12M-$13M in U.S. Previews Amid Over-the-Moon Audience Scores The Hollywood Reporter —
- Thriller Nights: ‘Michael’ Dancing To $12.5M+ In Previews, Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score At 96% – Box Office Update Deadline —
- Michael Jackson biopic turns up the music and mutes the controversy. What's wrong with that? CBC —
- Michael Jackson's 50 best songs, ranked as his movie hits theaters USA Today —