Michael Jackson biopic tops weekend box office presales

May 15, 2026, 10:04 am

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The biographical film “Michael,” depicting the childhood and early career of legendary pop star Michael Jackson, is poised to dominate theaters this weekend with strong advance ticket sales. /Courtesy of Universal Pictures

The late Michael Jackson appears set to reclaim the spotlight at the weekend box office as the biographical film “Michael” surged to the top of advance ticket sales in South Korea.

According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated ticketing system on Thursday, “Michael” ranked first in real-time reservation rates with 36.6 percent, equivalent to 141,301 advance bookings, positioning the film as the likely weekend box office leader.

The movie attracted 59,050 viewers on Wednesday alone, pushing cumulative admissions to 177,543 just two days after its release on May 13. It has now topped the daily box office for two consecutive days.

The film traces Jackson’s life from childhood through the era of his seventh solo studio album, “Bad.” It focuses on recreating some of the pop icon’s most memorable performances and productions, including the 1983 Motown 25 performance of “Billie Jean,” the filming of the “Thriller” music video and the “Victory” and “Bad” tours with the Jacksons.

“Michael” was produced by the creative team behind Bohemian Rhapsody, the Freddie Mercury biopic that drew nearly 10 million moviegoers in South Korea following its 2018 release.

The film notably excludes allegations of child sexual abuse that surrounded Jackson during his lifetime.

The title role is played by Jaafar Jackson, the late singer’s nephew and son of Jermaine Jackson, Michael’s older brother and fellow member of the Jacksons.

Meanwhile, director Yeon Sang-ho’s upcoming zombie thriller “Colony,” scheduled for release on May 21, ranked second in advance reservations with 7.9 percent, or 30,482 bookings.

Invited to the Midnight Screening section of the Cannes Film Festival, “Colony” is set to premiere officially at the Lumière Theatre in Cannes at 12:30 a.m. on May 15. Yeon, along with cast members Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hyun-been and Kim Shin-rok, are expected to attend the press conference, red carpet event and screening.

Other films ranking high in advance ticket sales included “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and “Super Mario Galaxy,” which placed third and fourth with reservation rates of 7.9 percent and 7.0 percent, respectively.

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