Why Did Michael (Jackson) Fail In India On Day 1?

A global icon. A ₹1500+ crore expectation worldwide on Day 1 alone. But in India, theatres are staring at empty seats. That’s the story of the film “Michael,” which happens to be the biopic of pop sensation, the King of Pop music, Michael Jackson. The film will be released worldwide on April 24, but hit Indian cinemas a day before on the 23rd itself. Let’s have a look at how it is faring on the first day here.

Trade experts in the US were expecting a $55–60 million opening weekend, which is a solid start for a biopic of this scale. Globally, with a $160–170 million budget, the film is clearly positioned as a major box office player. But what’s so shocking is that India barely noticed that the film is coming. The film got a limited release across top multiplex chains. Screens were restricted. Show timings were odd. And more importantly, there was almost zero promotion in a country that Hollywood giants like Disney and Marvel want to conquer. That led to almost empty seats in most Tier 2 cities in the country, while Tier 1 is seeing good bookings towards the evening.

First of all, this is not a niche indie film. This is a biopic on Michael Jackson. One of the biggest global pop culture icons ever. His music has massive recall even in India, and almost every film lover who hears music knows about MJ. So, where did the makers go wrong? Hollywood studios often assume that brand value alone will pull audiences. But the Indian theatrical market doesn’t work like that. Whatever the film may be, it needs aggressive marketing here. High time, Hollywood, realises this.