New Delhi, April 25 -- The Michael Jackson biopic has stormed cinemas worldwide, racking up massive earnings that put it on course to become the highest-grossing musical biopic debut in history.

Lionsgate's 'Michael' pulled in $12.6 million from Wednesday and Thursday previews in North America alone, with $3.8 million coming from special IMAX screenings. The film now appears set to earn between $65 million and $80 million domestically during its opening weekend, easily surpassing previous record-holder 'Straight Outta Compton', which opened to $60.2 million in 2015.

The international release kicked off strongly on Wednesday across 82 markets, earning $16.6 million on opening day for a running total of $18.5 million including previews. U...