• Tracking data provided by box office analyst Luiz Fernando reveals that the highly anticipated music biopic MICHAEL pulled a strong estimated $220,000 USD on Saturday during its second round of limited IMAX early screenings in Japan.
• Playing across a restricted footprint of just 62 theaters, the King of Pop has generated a massive $395,000 USD two-day preview total, backed by a stellar 4.2-star audience word-of-mouth score that matches the historic launch metrics of Bohemian Rhapsody.

The massive success of MICHAEL just keeps on going, and the international market signals are pointing straight toward a historic box office run. 

Ahead of its formal theatrical rollout in Japan next week, has been quietly destroying premium large-format screens across Japan in a series of ultra-limited preview windows. According to real-time box office analytics compiled by industry insider Luiz Fernando, MICHAEL is already capturing a major audience despite its restricted theater count.

Here’s what you need to know.

RELATED: Inside the Historic ‘MICHAEL’ Japan Premiere

Raking in Big Revenue From a Tiny Theater Footprint

According to Fernando, for its second formal round of limited IMAX Early Screenings on Saturday, MICHAEL pulled down an estimated $220,000 USD in single-day ticket sales. When you consider that the movie was only running in a tiny sample size of 62 theaters nationwide, those numbers reflect massive per-screen demand. Saturday’s surge brings the film’s total two-day preview total to a commanding $395,000 USD, a stellar performance.

Elite Word-of-Mouth Matches a Legendary Musical Precedent

In #Japan’s #BoxOffice, music biopic #MICHAEL held a 2nd round of limited IMAX Early Screenings on SAT, and despite playing in just 62 theatres, the KING OF POP #MichaelJackson grossed another strong est $220k on SAT, reaching a $395k 2-day previews cume so far.

WOM out of… pic.twitter.com/7Xyts4ONMO

— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) June 6, 2026

This reception carries immense industry weight:

• The Bohemian Rhapsody Standard: A 4.2-star audience score in the local market sits perfectly parallel to the legendary score carried by Bohemian Rhapsody during its initial launch cycles. For context, that film went on to generate an astronomical $114 million USD lifetime cume in Japan alone.
• The CinemaScore Equivalent: In domestic theatrical terms, maintaining this level of intense consumer score velocity is the direct equivalent of scoring a coveted, straight-A CinemaScore.

What’s Next

The premium introductory phase wraps up immediately with a final, highly anticipated round of limited Sunday IMAX screenings, giving fans one last chance to witness the spectacular production before the gates open completely. From there, MICHAEL will make its wide-scale local theatrical debut on Friday, June 12. The release of the movie in Japan is widely expected to be the final leg of what helps it surpass the $1 billion mark.

Featured Photo: Lionsgate

RELATED: Lionsgate Gives a Production Update on ‘Michael 2’