Movies

The 'Michael' biopic is on track to make over $1 billion. A PR expert shared how this is possible despite the low critical reviews.

Despite low critical reviews, the Michael Jackson biopic Michael has become the highest-grossing biopic of all time. It is also currently on track to earn $1 billion at the box office. According to an expert, this is why the film was a good idea from the studio’s perspective. The film presents Jackson as a brand, which helped propel its success.

 Michael received a 38% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite this, audiences have flocked to theaters to view the film. A PR expert believes that Jackson’s sustained popularity is the reason for this. People would have gone to the theater regardless of the reviews.

“A biopic becoming the highest-grossing of all time while receiving middling reviews is a masterclass in IP over craft,” said Colm Phelan, a Brand Manager and PR Expert at Casinos.com. “The Jackson estate controlled the narrative, the music rights, and the marketing.”

A good deal of the criticism centered around the exclusion of allegations of child sexual abuse against Jackson. While they were initially a part of the film, they did not appear in the final version. Phelan said that Jackson’s fans were not there to see that part of his life documented on film.

“Critics can say the scope was limited, but audiences were not buying a documentary,” he explained. “They were buying access to the songs, the moves, and the mythology. That is a brand play, not a film play, and it worked perfectly.”