A weekly film and box office newsletter. Howdy, folks! It's 2018 all over again. A musical biopic is smashing box office records despite poor reviews, and arguments are breaking out online over whether critics' opinions do/should matter. No, I'm not talking about "Bohemian Rhapsody." I'm talking about "Michael," the Michael Jackson biopic that grossed $97 million at the domestic box office this weekend and $217 million worldwide. The film was panned by critics (and Jackson's daughter) for pandering to fans with a glossed-over version of the King of Pop's career, playing the hits and ignoring more troubling aspects of his life — like those sex abuse allegations that were initially part of the film but excised due to a legal oversight. But audiences didn't care. The movie sits at a 33% Rotten Tomatoes critics score and 97% audience score. The divide between critics and audiences isn't new, but the online vitriol spewed by those on the "fan" side looks to turn appraisement into sport. Vulture critic Bilge Ebiri put it best: "Most of the people who get angry at critics for not liking any big movie these days aren’t even engaging with criticism. They’re upset about Rotten Tomatoes scores and crap like that. This isn’t art for them. It’s sports." Should critics take their roles seriously regardless of whether a film is "prestige" or a blockbuster? Yes. Is it OK that some moviegoers just want to have a good time? Also yes. And quite often critics and fans align! Everybody loved "Project Hail Mary," and Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis" was a huge hit with critics and fans alike. But the "Michael" Wars playing out in corners of X and reddit are silly and counterproductive, especially as the art of film criticism is under threat from a crumbling digital landscape and media illiteracy. Lionsgate, meanwhile, is laughing all the way to the bank. Adam Chitwood Be sure to follow me on my socials linked below for the latest updates. DMs are open for tips.    
Box Office: ‘Michael’ Thrills With Biopic Record $217 Million Global OpeningLionsgate/Universal’s “Michael” is setting the box office up for a big summer, breaking the all-time opening weekend record for biopics with a launch of $97 million domestic and $217 million worldwide. “Michael” has been circled by theater owners as one of the big tentpoles to look out for ever since it was first announced that Michael Jackson would be played by his nephew, Jaafar. But the question was whether it would be simply a huge hit or one that could smash records left and right. After this weekend, “Michael” is well on its way to becoming the latter. It is a lock to become the first Lionsgate release outside of... 
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