While This Is It’s domestic gross of $7.4 million seems a bit soft for a film with such high expectations, its international opening day number of $12.7 million confirms the King of Pop’s global appeal. The United Kingdom, France, and Japan had the highest-grossing opening days internationally, with each territory hauling over $1 million. Reviews for the Kenny Ortega-directed film have been fairly solid across the board (EW’s Owen Gleiberman gave it a B), and Jackson is sure to win the weekend. But the film has been a bit of a wild card when it comes to its box office predictions. All anyone really has to compare it to is the February 2008 concert film Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour, which grossed $31 million its opening weekend. Cyrus’ appeal is limited to the U.S., and while the movie was a success earning $65 million domestically, it only grossed $5 million overseas. This Is It’s domestic take should top the $40 million for its first five days. How high it goes depends greatly its need-to-see draw and fans’ ability to get to the theater on a busy Halloween weekend.
No word from Sony Pictures yet on whether they plan to expand the movie’s release beyond its two-week limited engagement.
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I still can’t believe these idiots still glorifying Jackson.
I absolutely agree. We just brought home 18 dead soliders and we are still glorifying this man. I will grant his talent, but did he fight for our country. NO.
What in the world do dead soldiers have to do with MJ? By that comparison, no one should be praised. For who deserves praise more than veterans. I don’t understand this kind of reasoning. So the only people we should praise are soldiers?
No one if forcing you to see the movie and no one is saying he deserves praise more than a US soldier. This conversation is what is idiotic.
This is an entertainment site; not a political site.
You’re right! He only donated over 700 million dollars in charity in his life time and only left 20% of his estate to charity in his will. He was a selfish selfish man and served no one!….pfffft! puhlease…..
Michael Jackson did not give $700 million to charity. He didn’t even have anywhere near that much money. Forbes estimates that MJ earned $550 million over his whole career. Half of that would have went to taxes & much of the rest was spent on his lavish life style & legal fees. He never once appeared on Business Week’s list of America’s top 50 philanthropists which requires life time charity of about $300 million. He did contribute to more charities than any other pop star according to Guiness, but he was nowhere near as generous as sam is trying to claim.
Amen Amen Samboat: Amen Sally in Chicago: Bravo Jonathan
Get a life James: Stryker: Matt1:
Yeah, dead soldiers have absolutely nothing to do with MJ. I’m extremely sorry they lost their lives and it is very sad, but no one forced them to be soldiers. You can’t honor every single one.
There is nothing wrong with honoring a man who changed the world with his music. Get over yourselves.
why should we glorify dead soldiers? cus most of them are idiots with no direction in life so they join the army to take part of a war that they know nothing about? that type of person is not my type of hero. Michael Jackson provided a lot more through his enrichment of culture which consequently enrich American culture. if u can’t see that, you’re an idiot
Once again, the MJ haters can’t keep two thoughts in their head at one time. If stryker’s “rationale” is to be followed, everyone ought to stop their lives and do nothing but listen to the news for the names of dead soldiers and nothing else. Idiot. There are only two types of people in this world: Michael Jackson fans and losers.
No He didn’t just fight for our country He faught for the WORLD since u wanna get technical
No, Michael Jackson spent his life trying to save our planet.
A lot of people aren’t in the military, don’t scold them. Just because you aren’t in the military does’nt mean you don’t fight for this country. But MJ fought for the world. Plus the only reason we have to fight for this country b/c this drama is all man created. ugh don’t get me started.
Idiot!
Sorry – SPOILER ALERT – he dies at the end of the movie.
You b*stard!! Why did you have to ruin the end for me…
That was in such poor taste. Hope you are never on the receiving end of a tasteless joke like that.
Oh lighten up… there have been much, MUCH worse things said about him.
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
You are all assholes. Show Michael some RESPECT! He was the best and will always be. You ignorant fools who think terrile things about him which the media has cooked up are pathetic. They only wanted money and they admitted it. So get your facts straight. I LOVE YOU MICHAEL!
Respect? This man molested numerous little boys. I have no respect for him and I’m delighted that he’s dead.
JM – Yes, we brought home 18 dead soldiers, yet you found the time to hit an entertainment/pop culture web site. What will you be doing Veterans Day?
Elain – thanks for pointing out MJ has given more than any other pop star.
For one thing michael was and is not a pedophile. he was found innocent of all charges. second thing those of us are not idiots for loving the king of pop. without him music will not be the same.
I can’t think of a reason why sharp eye like you would think of ‘these idiots’? Is this what makes you feel alive?
And we can’t believe you are not.
Your attitude typifies what this exemplary individual had to deal with in his lifetime, and I – for one am thoroughly sick of it. If you don’t like him , why are you on a This Is It comments page?
Strikes me as the behaviour of an ‘idiot?’ Michael, long after those who pick at your memory have receded into obscurity, your name and legend will still shine.
Immortal Beloved.
I hear that the media now says Jackson was a great and loving man and that you are a pedophile!
Don’t believe everything the media says my sick friend!!!!!!!!!!!!
Say what you want about him, but don’t call me an idiot for appreciating true musical genius. I’ll be seeing it tomorrow and I can’t wait.
why would anyone compare MJ and the veterans? they’re two different topics. we glorify him because WE CARE. if you don’t care then leave it alone. don’t read this. and michael did give a whole lot to charity then any ’super star’ thats why hes in the guinnes book. really..okay..if you have nothing good to say then shut up!..and by the wayy..to the author DONT COMPARE HANNA MONTHANNA to MICHAEL JACKSON. thats disrespecting a genius..[THE KING OF POP]
I was at the opening-night Laker game across the street and the nearly 20,000 people with me were all making fun of the people standing outside in the ridiculous wind conditions waiting for…Tito??…Jermaine??
Really, it’s not like his corpse is gonna reanimate just to make the premier!!
Talk all the crap you want to about the Lakers, at least I saw people who are still alive do what they do and i doubt any of the players looked at all the little boys in Laker jerseys and had unhealthy thoughts like I’m sure the star of the movie playing across the street would’ve!
You are a foul human being…
Maybe so but at least he’s telling the truth.
you’re an idiot and a pathetic hater. and i assure you the los angeles lakers all have something positive to say about MJ and have all his jams in their Ipods so eat it biotch.
Well, I like the Lakers AND Michael Jackson! But, excuse me, Kobe Bryant and the rest of the NBA players are surely no paragons of family values. Holy smokes, you’ve got rapists, wife-beaters, gamblers, whore-mongers, philanderers, thugs, cross-dressers, infidels, and lotharios on every roster!
And, really Matt, you and your herd of 20,000 friends don’t have much class – making fun of others – especially those in mourning – is utterly puerile.
But the real problem, is that you’re views about Michael Jackson are not well-informed. I’ve read much on the subject, and even those writers and researchers who started out motivated to excoriate Jackson publicly as a pedophile found that the FACTS did not support this conclusion. Remember when the police forced MJ to be photographed nude in order to corroborate an accuser’s description? Guess what, the accuser’s description was not even close! In the end, Michael Jackson was not acquitted on any legal technicality or tricky lawyering – he was found innocent by a jury based on facts and evidence. Did you know that to this day, there has not been even one credible Michael Jackson accuser? Of course, as your own attitude betrays, truth and credibility don’t really matter to the general public where these kinds of salacious accusations are made. Because Michael was so obviously “different” and so extremely wealthy and famous, not to mention overly trusting, he became the target for many-a gold digger trying to take advantage of the “witch hunt mentality” by making false accusations and preying on the predispositions of the common ignorant.
Come on, Matt, step up, don’t be part of the Jackson-bashing herd – join me and say, “Vive la difference!”
Or, just beat it.
Rest In Peace, Mr. Michael Jackson.
Jonathan, your post is an example of honed critical thinking skills and the ability to express yourself well. Bravo!
how INTERESTING, Jonny, that you talk about thieves, philanderers, murderers, etc being on NBA teams and then lump in cross-dressers! WTF? What in the world do they have to do with those others – NOTHING. You bigoted swine. I have a feeling about you, and it’s not positive. Holier than thou comes to mind. Anyone that talks about cross-dressers in the same breath as murderers and wife-abusers is a sicko. cross-dressing is a hobby, wife beating is a CRIME against humanity, murder is vicious, but oh my, those cross-dressers – LOOK OUT! They’ll throw a shoe at you… fool.
Oh, really? All 20,0000 people were making fun of the Michael Jackson supporters? You must have really good hearing.
MATT1 d lakers u talkn abt,kobe bryant n magic johnson wer der at MJ’s memorial so i gues tht makes kobe a suportr of abusing little boys in jerseys if put accordn 2 ur dumb thoughts!btw ur kobe cried lyk a lil girl wen he was caught 4 cheatn on his wife!ur nothin bt a f*ckin loser bt u cnt evn dribl a ball,or bttr u dnt hav ne balls at all!!!MJ is d 1 who made black ppl famous n bridged d gap between whites n blacks!No1 in d world has d fame tht Mj has njt evn all d lakers team players 2gethr!!Mj had d money 2 buy 10 laker teams u git!ur brains r full of sh..it!
i still cant believe idiots think he’s a pedophile. i cant wait to see this movie.
Good luck with being so gullible in life.
wish you the same
So do you deny that he was a drug addict, self abusive, addicted to cosmetic surgery and self destructive too?
Ummm who isnt into cosmetic surgery? The drugs was for pain and was not monitored. Get over it.
Hey FBI, its funny you bother calling anyone an idiot considering that if you take the time to look at the actual evidence (or lack thereof) you would have realized that there was nothing remotely concrete on any of the case against him. But hey, being ignorant and judgemental is fun right?
Nothing concrete except that he slept in the same bed as young boys. If you don’t want accusations, don’t sleep in the same bed with little boys.
Ohhhhhhhhh please please shut uppppp go away stop hating. You will never change anyone’s mind about MJ
My daughter and myself went to the premiere on Tuesday and left there in awe. The film is put together very well and you leave with a sense that the tour would have been unbelievable!!! MJ was a musical genius and no amount of supposed scandal can take that from him…in life or death
Give me a break. Anyone with half a brain knows that there is NO WAY he would have completed those concert dates. Sorry – he was a complete mess in life and in death.
For God sakes…go away!! Why the hell are you here if all you wanna do is leave rude comments! No one wants to hear that! Your the one who is a mess! You need to realize that Michael Jackson was a musical genious and he deserves some respect!
this is so true.the only genius of a kind. never again will this world be blessed with the likes of him..the footage shows that Michael Jackson is the GOD OF SHOWMEN..always and forever!
How many of these idiotic fans would’ve let their kids sleep in the same bed as Jackson? The man admitted to doing it and seeing nothing wrong. Let’s see those hands. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
All of you fools are basically turning him into some sort of twister martyr.
Jackson sure did go out of his way to throw several million dollars to shut people up about his whole ordeal.
He did not pay the Arvizo’s so that says a LOT! Fool me once shame on me (Chandlers was a BIG mistake and Michael learned the hard way), fool me twice shame on you (Michael made the Arvizo’s look like the money hungry fools they were – just like he should have done the Chandlers). You live and learn. Just wish he would have done it in 1993 that way the Arvizo’s would have NEVER had the ammunition and the public and the media would not had SICK and TWISTED minds like YOU!
MJ IS and WAS INNOCENT! Get over IT! You just mad because he broke all kinds of barriers and he was a BLACK man. America is the only country that has a problem with Michael because it is a country that was built and exists on RACISM.
MJ Haters are the classic example of how media can mind control with their discrimination and lies. LOL people are so gullible.
Yes, you are pretty gullible.
you are being manipulated big time and you don’t even know it. LOL
Michael Jackson worked hard and rose to the Top of his chosen life pursuit. Many are out there doing nothing to help themselves or lift up this world in a positive way. We will all pass away one day but our legacies will outlive us. What legacy will you leave behind? Ask your self. Thank you Michael for giving us great music. Cheers.
“7.4 seems a bit soft.” I find it interesting how writers go out of their way to negate pretty much anything Michael Jackson is involved in almost as if they resent that they have to write about him and if there’s any good news, they will find a way to make it look bad. Nice way to start a paragraph.
I agree with you 100%. Anything to get on the MJ bashing band wagon. All media outlets ever due is twist and turn any thing positive that has to do with MJ.. They never show how much of a humanitarian he was giving millions to charity to help make the world a better place WOW it blows my mind when I see or hear negative things, They simply want to keep the truth hidden but It will surface some day I hope. the media owes MJ a huge apology.
Jackson looked equally creepy!
Why? because he din’t follow all the other sheep that we are? because he had his own style? because you are blind? or is it because you are shallow? and give importance to looks rather than matter…
Rather than what> Drug addiction? Self multilation? Dangling his kid over a courtyard of fans 4 stories up in the air?
I’d rather be a sheep than look like he did when he killed himself.
It’s not only about MJ. Just hold back and look what’s happening around you. you’ll know what I mean. The wars, hate, corruption, poverty, it’s all a show. Imagine for once if you all stopped doing what you do for a few days. All the governments would fall in a minute ha ha. That’s the power you have people but you don’t understand it.If everyone refused to go to war if everyone refused to hate… WOW! But no we will never do that HUMANS are HYPOCRITES……enough said.
Oh, and when I was 10 I drank jesus juice with Michael and we went to magical places together.
I went the first day, Tuesday, and the Theater was half empty. I was surprised, I thought it was better than I expected, not Best Movie of the year, as told by Liz Taylor – by a long shot.
It is so amazing to me how jealous white men are of Michael Jackson. They try to tear him down anyway they can; they have tried it for years. But his fans know the truth about him and nothing you say can influence us. His music and legend will live forever and there is nothing you can do to stop it.
aahhh so so true…how jealous so many are….but they can’t hurt the legend MichaelJackson any more. God bless him …