Michael Jackson‘s This Is It opened this week in theaters and it’s already raked in an impressive $19 million.

Concert doc “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” from Sony Pictures continued to dominate the box office in its third day ringing up $7.9 million at 3,481 venues for a running cume of $19.1 million.

For Sony, “This Is It” looks to mark the studio’s seventh No. 1 opener this year at the box office after the release of “Zombieland” earlier this month. While the $7.4 million opening day of “This Is It” on Wednesday charted under the $8.6 million first Friday of Disney’s “Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour,” the Michael Jackson pic has outperformed the opening days of other music docs including Disney’s “Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience” ($5 million) and Paramount’s “Tupac: Resurrection” ($2.2 million).

It’s quite clearly going to be the most dominant concert film, I just wonder if it will be #1 over this holiday weekend.

Source: Variety

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Michael Jackson’s This Is It opens in theaters today, and is likely to be the biggest concert film release ever.

Michael Jackson’s final act “This Is It” opens in theaters around the world Tuesday.

Concert pic begins playing at points across the globe beginning at 9 p.m. PT, when the Los Angeles premiere wraps. Movie rolls out in roughly 3,500 theaters domestically and thousands more overseas. The film is currently slated to run for a little more than two weeks.

How much “This Is It” could generate in ticket sales through its first weekend is diffcult to predict. Some distributors say north of $40 million at the domestic B.O. alone; others say more.

Film is in the top five titles of 2009 in terms of preticket sales on online ticketing service Fandango.

Disney’s concert pic “Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour” opened to $31.1 million at the domestic B.O. on its way to cuming $65.3 million in a limited run.

Overseas, “Best of Both Worlds” grossed $5.4 million internationally for a worldwide haul of $70.6 million.

Most believe “This Is It” will generate substantially more.

I have no doubt in my mind that this film will easily outsell all other concert films ever released, c’mon it’s Michael Jackson. They say it’s only out for two weeks, but I just don’t buy it. They are going to milk this for all it’s worth, and that’s a lot.

Source: Variety

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Kenny Ortega the director of Michael Jackson’s This is It has dropped out of directing the remake of the film Footloose.

Kenny Ortega has dropped out as director of Footloose over differences with Paramount Pictures on tone and budget, reports Variety. Ortega directed Wednesday opener Michael Jackson’s This Is It.

The studio is starting the search for a new director to keep the project on track for a March production start, when star Chace Crawford is on hiatus from “Gossip Girl.” Crawford is starring with Julianne Hough, the “Dancing With theStars” dancer and country singer.

The trade says that Ortega wanted to make a film with elaborately staged musical numbers at a budget of about $30 million. Paramount production chief Adam Goodman wanted an edgier drama with less emphasis on the musical numbers and a budget around $25 million or less.

Kenny Ortega is a really awesome guy, I’m sure his reasoning made a lot of sense. He has a vision and he likes to see it come to fruition in the way he plans it, there are plenty of other projects out there that he’ll be helming with great success.

Source: Coming Soon

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Tickets for the upcoming film Michael Jackson’s This Is It went on sale just yesterday but it’s already selling out in many theaters!

CULVER CITY, Calif., September 28, 2009 – Sony Pictures Entertainment, in conjunction with Sony Music Entertainment, today announced that the first 24-hours of pre-sales activity for Michael Jackson’s This Is It has resulted in record-breaking sales throughout the world as fans secure the first tickets to the two-week, limited engagement of the highly-anticipated motion picture.

With reports still coming in from nations around the world, it is believed no movie in history has generated so many ticket sales so far in advance of its release.

In North America, online ticket sellers Fandango and MovieTickets.com report that there is extraordinary demand for the film with hundreds of showtimes already sold out after one day of pre-sales. Some 80% of all online ticketing service transactions were for the film, which will debut in some markets with special advance showings the evening of Tuesday, October 27 and will open worldwide on Wednesday, October 28. The film is directed by long-time Jackson collaborator Kenny Ortega.

Domestically, an unprecedented number of shows for the two-week engagement have sold out in the first 24 hours of ticket availability in locations from coast-to-coast, including such cities as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Nashville and New York, among others. Internationally, exhibitors from London and Sydney to Bangkok and Tokyo have experienced the same epic demand.

The film is only out for two weeks, so if you want to see it in the theater I’d advise you to buy your tickets very soon! This movie will probably be sold out across the board everywhere by the time it’s release rolls around on October 28th!

Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily

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Here’s the poster for the upcoming documentary concert film Michael Jackson’s: This Is It.

This movie is going to be a huge hit, everyone is curious to see what the final performances were supposed to be. Was this truly to be a major comeback for Jackson?

Source: IMP Awards

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The final concert rehearsal footage has been purchased for a whopping $60 million dollars and will officially be coming to a theater near you.

Sony Pictures and Sony Music have officially landed the rights to produce a pic of Michael Jackson’s final concert tour.

As expected, the studio will distrib “This Is It” worldwide on Oct. 30, (Daily Variety, July 21). It will consist of rehearsal and behind-the-scenes footage shot while Jackson prepped to perform 50 concerts in London. “High School Musical”-helmer Kenny Ortega, who choreographed the show, will direct the film, the material for which was shot in HD in June at Staples Center and the Forum in Los Angeles.

The film will offer select sequences in 3-D.

Sony acquired the footage from AEG Live and the Michael Jackson estate for as much as $60 million. AEG had started the bidding at $50 million.

$60 million seems like a lot of money but that money will be made back exponentially when the footage is released in theaters. The worldwide audience will be clamoring for a look at the final days of the legend Michael Jackson.

Source: Variety

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