Halloween audiences picked beats over blood this weekend, pushing Michael Jackson’s This Is It to the top spot, while horror phenomenon Paranormal Activity scored a strong second-place finish. With a $21.3 million domestic gross, This Is It raised its worldwide total to a massive $101 million that easily breaks the record for a concert doc, though it falls far short of the $250 million that concert promoter AEG reportedly predicted. Even so, the performance was good enough to convince distributor Sony (which acquired the pic for a mere $60 million) to announce that the concert pic will remain in theaters at least until Thanksgiving.
Still beating expectations in its third wide-release weekend, the sleeper hit Paranormal Activity dropped just 22 percent for a $16.5 million haul. At $84.8 million total after six weekends, the surprise smash is now the year’s highest grossing horror movie. Rounding out the top five are holdovers Law Abiding Citizen ($7.3 million), Couples Retreat, ($6.1 million), and Saw VI ($5.6 million).
The weekend’s two other newbies both had lukewarm receptions in wide release: The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day made $0.5 million at 68 theaters, while Gentlemen Broncos earned $10,000 at two sites.
More box office news:
Box Office Chart: Weekend’s top 10
‘Michael Jackson’s This Is It’ tops Friday box office with $7.9 million
Box office preview: ‘This is It’ destined to win the weekend
Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is It’ grosses $7.4 million in U.S. on opening day
Box Office Report: ‘Paranormal Activity’ conjures $22 million for No. 1 spot
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MJ MJ MJ I’m so sick of Micheal Jackson, this is getting ridiculous!!!!!
then dissappear of this earth
Now is that what MJ would say?
yeah disappear. i saw this movie and really didn’t know what to expect. i walked away knowing there are good artists, great artists, and then there are those people …
michael jackson fell into the latter category. beyond the stratosphere that had the nuances of artistry artists pray to be blessed with and learn. i finally became sad he is gone, and can’t wait to see the movie just one more time so i can really appreciate it.
so y did u click on this article? genious…
Probably because it’s a free country.
What’s really ridiculous is clicking on this and taking the time to comment if you’re sick of him. I for one, loved the film- and Michael left us just like he was always going to… wanting more. He was a once in a lifetime, brilliant, and kind hearted musical genius and I will always love him.
what’s even more ridiculous is taking the time to click on here and comment about someone who is taking the time to click on here and comment about michael jackson if they are sick of him.
I’m not much of a Michael Jackson fan either but i clicked on this article to read about how the other movies did since its the box office report. Its so low when people attack other’s comments the way people do.
well what many people forget to add is that hallowween was a big decline and it hasnt fallen on a saturday since 1996 so it was a huge slump fr thisit ,despite that it managed to do very very well and am sure it will make 250mill eventually
to Nerwen, you claim you’re sick and tired of Michael yet you read the article and posted your retarded opinion, nice try idiot
Oh come one, NERWEN is just looking for attention, and how do you know it’s a dude? Nerwen sounds more like a girl
It’s an article about the movies this weekend, not an article about MJ. I also happen to agree. Not that he wasn’t talented… but people… stop trying to profit off his death… please.
Why shouldn’t they profit off of Micheal’s death they profitted off of Elvis Presley Death with Graceland and they are still making money off of graceland. so stop hating.
AND HOW WOULD YOU KNOW THAT???????
ofcourse it is always mj mj mj & mj!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
he is the king that’s why.
we’re going to hear about him for the next 500 years. hehe^-^
who gets tired of michael??? wierd!
me
it’s good that movie made all that money!!! very good^_^ kongratz!!!
I have to agree with Nerwen. Before he died, no one gave any thought to MJ except that he was a bona fide creep, but the moment he dies, people crawl out of the woodworks and the media goes into overkill mode.
Just becuase you thought he was a creep doesn’t mean we all did. They are those of us who loved him admired and appreciated him for all he is but did not kiss and tell to everyone who hears, we were dignified about it. This is out way of showing L.O.V.E
ROFL thats the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Didn’t kiss and tell? What are you even talking about? “Yeah, I love that show…..but I’m not going to tell anyone I like it. Because I dont kiss and tell, I’m dignified. So I keep it a secret. It’s called showing love. Loving The Sopranos=watching it in your room with the door locked and the sound down and not telling anyone. Dignity, baby.” Riiiiight.
Ummm…. ok?? Hutchy, in case you didn’t know, some of us were fans before he died… i.e when it wasn’t cool to like Michael Jackson. Do we have to spoon feed you everything? Get a life.
I agree with KC….he was missing in action except for the fabloids/tabloids….and had not toured in the U.S. in 10 years. His major fan base was overseas and I doubt very many people cared. He’s richer and better in death than in life.
Hence him making 21 mil here (a failure, even if they deny it, 21 mil is far below expectations for the U.S.) and 80 mil overseas, a smash by any way you want to measure it. Clearly the vast majority of his fanbase was outside the United States.
If he was “missing in action” as you say…how do you exaplain the cool million in London concert tickets what were sold BEFORE he died? Just because he fell off your radar doesn’t mean he fell off everyone’s. No matter how you feel about him, you can’t deny his monster talent and contributions to popular music. It’s a big deal that he’s gone.
“The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day” had lukewarm reception? The film wad made by Sony’s DVD movies department called Stage 6.
A movie that was supposed to straight-to-DVD can have more than $5000 per-theater average; it is a success, not lukewarm .
Troy Duffy is that you?
Boondock ii “lukewarm?” Uh no.
Jay’s math is a little off, though; comes out to $6700 per theater.
Half a million in 2 days –not bad!
Actually that is not that great for a limited release movie. If it earned that average playing at 1000+ theatres, that would be impressive. If it couldn’t even sell out the 2 theatres it was playing at, that’s a bomb. Man, people are dumb sometimes.
You mean the 68 theatres, right? Not too smart there pal. I agree with you though that it is not exactly a hit by any interpretation. Too bad as the first one was quite good.
Michael Jackson is a legend and he is alive and well. I just talked to him yesterday. I said ‘Mike you need to Beat It’ and he said shut up Jon…dont you know IM BAD!
‘watch music videos and movies for free on defSpot com’
I am also predicting ‘This is It’ will be making over 1 billion dollars worldwide…defeating Titanic as an all time grossing movie…Nuff said!
he he you are funny…that would indeed be a miracle…LOL!
Well Titanic made about 1.85 billion…and that is in 1997 dollars.
First off, the film won’t run anywhere near as long as “Titanic”. Second off, the true box office champ is “Gone with the Wind”, when you adjust numbers for inflation. Not that it matters – “This is It” is a flop (theatrically – it’ll kill on DVD), at least in the USA.
I knew it wouldn’t do $250 million! Shame on everyone who gave more money to this dead pedophile.
Sheldon you are everything thats wrong with this world.
You are disgusting.
That aptly describes Michael Jackson Chris.
I don’t know if you realize, but he was acquitted on those counts.
I thought he settled out of court and paid for their silence.
you don’t remember the footage of the trial, him being acquitted, folks letting off doves when he was acquitted…? the man settled with one family (who had a father with questionable intentions), and was acquitted of another.
OJ Simpson was acquitted of murdering Ron and Nicole. Doesn’t mean he didn’t do it.
However, I do believe that both the families who accused MJ were just out for money although the prosecutors must have believed at least one of them or thought they had enough evidence against him to actually bring criminal charges.
Well technically they’re not giving it to him as he is dead and has no use for it.
I always believe he was innocent. There is no way in hell he would do that to kids, America is so judgemental other countries love Michael because they love his music and dont believe in the stupid crap that goes on in the U.S.
I read this article for the weekend boxoffice numbers. Not surprised people went to see that weirdos(MJ) movie. After Thriller MJ went nuts. He was great before that.
you people get way too heated over MJ. Sure, he was good in his heyday (and that’s in the 80s and early 90s) but lately he was a presence only in the tabloids. Then he dies, and all I hear for the next 6 months is MJ this – MJ that. The funeral was a creepy affair, non stop airplay was tiring and i hope you all realize that this movie is doing nothing except capitalizing on the huge surge in popularity the guy got after he died. I just think we all need to step back and look and things in perspective.
gee, thank you for the history lesson.
HEY!!! WAKE UP! its not just about Michael, its the music and the message . A genius is a genius, no one can take that away from him. The more you knock him the greater he becomes, so stop wasting your time! He’s the King!
1. When the vast majority of his music’s theme is paranoia and the world leaving him alone and with his pedophilia entanglements, I would say the music and the message are hard to distinguish. 2. Everyone knocked him in the 90’s would you say he became greater? Pedophilia trials, declining relevance, declining album sales, endless jokes, drug addiction. Yep, on top of the world there.
I am so happy that this movie made it to the top spot and will continue to make even more money. No matter what these idiot haters say, MJ will always and forever be #1. So you people who say “MJ this and MJ that ” I think you need to shut it because no matter what you say nothing will ever diminish MJ’s pure god given talent and the love he had for all people, that everyone is what I call the meaning of true greatness,something that most people can only dream of being.
I swear its the same idiots in every MJ post on this site. You have haters and his die hard fans going at each others likes fools everytime his name is mentioned. This shit is so old. His movie is #1 this week. If you don’t like him, don’t post a comment. If you do like him post ONE comment and move on. Stop being so immature.
I hate it when they always take advantage of someone’s death to make a bunch of money.To me it’s just disrespectful,let them rest in peace instead of making a quick buck.
i don’t understand how an article about the weekend box office results has more comments about whether of not michael jackson was a creep or who is/isn’t sick of hearing about him! i will be seeing “this is it” next weekend because this past weekend was just too busy. i always wanted to see him concert because he was such an childhood favorite back in the day…so this is my one chance to kind of do that.
i see that “saw vi” has now made $22 million with a budget of only $11 million. sure its much less than the previous entries but it still made money. not a total failure. just a dissappointment. bravo “paranormal activity” bravo.
THE UNDISPUTED KING OF POP!!
If MJ were alive today he would hate this movie that is made from film that was supposed to be kept private, hate the fact that his family is authorizing cheap halloween costumes of him and exploiting his memory at every turn. Like his disgustingly creepy dad Joe said “he is worth more dead than alive.” The whole scenario is pathetic. Keep in mind this is the kind of family that is profiting from all this. I oly hope they don’t turn his kids into the same kind of nutcase that MJ became.
Sheldon you need to shut up about Michael Jackson!!!!!! Have respect and stop jacking your weener off so much and maybe you can like get chicks! Anyway, back to my prediction. ‘This Is It’ will be making about 2 billion. I made a mistake by saying it was going to make 1 billion. I mean 2 Billion..surpassing all expectation.
‘watch music videos and cool stuff free on defSpot com’
I was hoping two weeks ‘would be it’ but now it looks like they didn’t steal enough money from the not so hungry fans so it will stay until Thanksgiving. Then, will that be it?
well i was one who spent the $ and went to see Mj This is it & i loved it yeah lots of people think he was weird but he was one hell of a entertainer and a good hearted person.That concert would have been awsome. and i will never believe that he done anything to harm a child. & my children dressed like him for halloween as a tribute to him
Did they run around the neighborhood grabbing their crotches?
So much bitchin’ everywhere! All you haters need to chill the (bleep) out AND READ A BOOK!
The lovers need to go watch TV, books are boring.
lIKE YOURE DOING RIGHT NOW??
Sony is emphasizing world figures because the US figures are very disappointing. Even the world figure is disappointing considering what they expected. There were a lot of empty seats. I assume that it will drop off considerably in future weeks in the US. The interest is just not here–most fans who wanted to see it went the first few days. The press is willing to join in the hype using the world figure, but the fact is that 21 million on the first weekend, just barely ahead of a little horror film, is pretty pitiful for the most hyped movie of the year. I understand the blind love of the fans, but the rest of us just don’t want to see it.
“Even so, the performance was good enough to convince distributor Sony (which acquired the pic for a mere $60 million) to announce that the concert pic will remain in theaters at least until Thanksgiving.” Oh what a surprise. It was clear that this was always the plan. The idea that it would be “Two week engagement” was just a ploy to get idiots into the theater under the belief that it would only be out for two weeks. It never made any sense that they would spend millions of dollars for a two week engagement. I’m sure the plan was always to extend it. I bet the people who waited for hours to get tickets feel like dopes now.
And now that it bombed and only did 21 Mil domestic, I can promise you they will be keepin that sucker in theaters til Valentines Day trying to squeeze every last penny out of it on its way to 50 mil.
Well, well, well…what a surprise. So “This Is It” will stay in theatres. Hmmmm…I guess this WASN’T it…was it?
The Michael Jackson movie was sooo inspiring, entertaining, enlightening and the best I’ve EVER seen. His personality was authentic and talent unsurpassed. No one should miss it…young or old!