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O<\/span>n Wednesday evening, revelers gathered in the lobby of New York City\u2019s Regal Union Square movie theater before filing into the night\u2019s slate of Michael<\/a> screenings. The King of Pop has become box office royalty after the film moonwalked into the biggest opening weekend for a biopic ever<\/a> (even surpassing 2023\u2019s Oppenheimer). Now, its success has resulted in even more attention worthy of Michael Jackson<\/a>\u2019s immense star-power, with videos circulating online of fans dancing<\/a> in the aisles at screenings and a sequel likely in the works<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, much like Jackson\u2019s current polarizing force in culture, it\u2019s all a tale of contrasts<\/a>. The movie\u2019s Rotten Tomatoes critics\u2019 score of a paltry 38%, compared with a 97% audience score is a rare chasm. The Guardian\u2019s Peter Bradshaw was one of many who lambasted<\/a> the Antoine Fuqua-directed film, saying it was \u201cbland, bowdlerised and bad\u201d, as well as \u201c<\/strong>frustratingly shallow\u201d.<\/p>\n Many fans I spoke to were undeterred. \u201cI grew up listening to him and my dad was the main fan,\u201d said Joanne, a Long Island University college student from Fort Greene, Brooklyn who made the trek to this Manhattan multiplex to see the movie for what will be her second time. \u201cWe have all of his CDs, pictures, books and vinyls.\u201d<\/p>\n For the occasion, she was dressed in Jackson\u2019s signature Off the Wall<\/a> album outfit: shiny black shoes with white socks, accented by a black jacket, white button-down shirt and bow tie. \u201cThis was the first time I dressed up for a movie.\u201d Not to be outdone, her friend Tahliah sported a DIY peace sign shirt in tribute to Jackson\u2019s look in his music video for 1995\u2019s They Don\u2019t Care About Us<\/a>; she stayed up late making it by hand the night before.<\/p>\n \u201cI had to come see it again, because I thought it was amazing,\u201d said Joanne. \u201cI think it\u2019s put together nicely as a starter for fans to get into him.\u201d<\/p>\n