India, April 23 -- The biopic Michael, about Michael Jackson, is releasing in theatres this Friday. The film, which stars the Prince of Pop's nephew, Jaafar Jackson, in the lead role, has faced negative early reviews. But that has not seemed to dampen its prospects at the box office. Trade analysts are bullish about Michael's prospects at the ticket window, predicting a genre-defining start globally.

According to multiple leading Hollywood box-office watchers, Michael is expected to earn $65-70 million in North America in its opening weekend. Both Deadline and Variety put similar estimates for the film's domestic start. This will be a new record for any musical biopic. Freddie Mercury's biopic Bohemian Rhapsody opened at $51 million in 2...