Michael Jackson's film 'This Is It' earns $2.2M on first night

Michael Jackson's film 'This Is It' earns $2.2M on first night

Pop king Michael Jackson is at the top of the charts once again since his film ruled box office. It was quited expected considering the popularity of this singing sensation.

According to sources, "Michael Jackson's This Is It" received $2.2 million domestically from its first late-night screenings and thus made a huge profit on Wednesday. This has proved to be a remarkable for any firms in tinsel town.

Those evening screenings alone were enough to top the $1.7 million that Paramount's fright flick "Paranormal Activity," last weekend's No. 1 movie, pulled in over the entire day Tuesday.

With Halloween at hand, "Paranormal Activity" expands into its widest release yet, about 2,400 theaters, compared to about 3,500 for "This Is It."

Distributor Sony gladly declared the success of the film which has rightly surpassed its pull from first evening screenings.  It has paid a lump sum of 60 million dollars internationally that was distilled from over 100 hours of footage shot of Jackson’s rehearsals for his scheduled comeback concert in London.

While "This Is It" is not quite a concert film, box-office watchers are gauging its success against "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert," the biggest concert movie on record. "Best of Both Worlds" had a $31.1 million opening weekend last year and pulled in $65.3 million domestically during its entire run.

Though not typed to a concert film per se, movie goers are comparing its success with "Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert," the biggest concert movie on record. Miley’s had grabbed $31.1 million on opening weekend last year and pulled in $65.3 million domestically during its entire run.


So far "This Is It" has not approached any major box-office records. The best results ever for advance evening screenings came from "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," which took in $13.2 million Thursday night ahead of its official Friday release in summer 2006. "Independence Day" had the best Tuesday night advance results, with $11.1 million in summer 1996.

Undoubtedly Michael Jackson’s "This Is It" already is well on its way of becoming a top-grossing music documentary.

Last March's "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience" runs a distant second to "Best of Both Worlds in the concert-film record books, topping out at $19.2 million. "Madonna: Truth or Dare" follows with $15 million, and last year's "U2 3D" is fourth with $10.2 million.

Sony, which opened "This Is It" in 99 countries simultaneously, releases worldwide box-office results on Thursday for the film's first full day.

"This Is It" faces some hurdles over its first weekend, which falls on Halloween, when the main competition will be scary movies such as "Paranormal Activity" and "Saw VI."

Halloween day itself, which falls on Saturday, typically cuts into theater business, with many fans skipping movies in favor of parties.

With Jackson's death just weeks before the concerts were to open, the rehearsal footage is a final curtain call, and fans have been happy to get one last glimpse of the singer at work.

Some came away surprised at how precise and hands-on the soft-spoken Jackson was as he developed the musical numbers with his backup dancers and musicians.