Michael Jackson ruled the box office this weekend the way he once ruled the music charts, as the biopic “Michael” opened with $97 million to lead all films in North America, according to industry estimates released Sunday.
Helmed by “Training Day” and “The Equalizer” director Antoine Fuqua, “Michael” stars Jaafar Jeremiah Jackson — Michael Jackson’s nephew and the son of former Jackson 5 member Jermaine Jackson — in the title role. It deals with Jackson’s upbringing under strict father Joe Jackson, his childhood stardom with The Jackson 5 and eventual superstardom in the late 1970s and ’80s as a solo artist.
Due to language in a legal settlement, the movie does not make reference to the multiple allegations of child sexual abuse levied against Jackson, who died in 2009.
Second place in this weekend’s box office ranking went to “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” which made $21.2 million after spending its first three weeks in the No. 1 spot, Comscore reported.
“Project Hail Mary” took third place with $13.2 million Friday through Sunday in its sixth weekend in theaters.
`Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” was fourth with $5.6 million in its second weekend, followed by “The Drama,” which made $2.6 million in its fourth week.
Rounding out the top 10 releases were “Hoppers” ($1.9 million), “You, Me & Tuscany” ($1.5 million), “Over Your Dead Body” ($1.4 million), “Mother Mary” ($1.2 million) and “American Youngboy” ($1.19 million).