1. "2012" ($65 million)
2. "A Christmas Carol" ($22.3 million)
3. "The Men Who Stare At Goats" ($6.2 million)
4. "Precious: Based On The Novel 'Push' By Sapphire" ($6.1 million)
5. "Michael Jackson's This Is It" ($5.1 million)
The world may have ended in "2012," but Roland Emmerich's disaster epic is just getting started at the box office. The John Cusack-starring film finished its opening weekend in theaters in first place with a walloping $65 million domestic intake. But moviegoers beyond American borders came out in full force for the end-of-days flick, giving "2012" a massive $225 million total worldwide. Read more...
FROM MTV.COM: The worldwide thirst for all things Michael Jackson continues unabated. So far, the "This Is It" documentary chronicling the late pop star's final rehearsals for a comeback tour that never was has raked in more than $200 million across the globe.
Reuters reports that the film has crossed the $200 million threshold after just two weeks in theaters, with overseas grosses vastly outstripping U.S. totals. Sony Pictures Entertainment said the movie had brought in $61 million in North America so far and more than $140 million internationally, with Japan among those leading the way at $27.2 million, followed by the U.K. — where Jackson was preparing to launch the "This Is It" 50-show run at London's O2 Arena — at $14.3 million.
Continue reading 'Michael Jackson's: This Is It' Passes $200 Million Worldwide
1. "A Christmas Carol" ($31 million)
2. "Michael Jackson's This Is It" ($14 million)
3. "The Men Who Stare At Goats" ($13.3 million)
2. "The Fourth Kind" ($12.5 million)
5. "Paranormal Activity" ($8.6 million)
Did Ebenezer Scrooge learn his lesson at the box office this weekend? It's difficult to say, as the Jim Carrey-starring "A Christmas Carol" certainly took the top prize with a $31 million weekend, though the result is considered relatively disappointing given the film's potential draw to family crowds and its hefty budget of $200 million. The odds of the holiday movie recouping that number anytime soon are rather small, though we've certainly seen stranger box office occurrences lately. Read more...
Okay, here's the score. For 15 of you lucky readers, MTV has a soundtrack for "Michael Jackson's This Is It" and a limited edition concert ticket from the canceled European tour to give away, free of charge. The only catch is that you have to spread the word, social networking-style.
To enter for a chance to win both items, all you need is a Twitter account and a willingness to re-tweet. First, follow @MTV. Then, keep an eye out for the following tweet: "For chance 2 win MJ collectors This Is it Tix + sndtrac, RT #MJ MTV Twitter Ticket Hunt. First 15 to RT Wins!" Once you see that, simply re-tweet it and you're all set. Simple, right? The contest starts today and will run through tomorrow evening, ending at 6pm EST. Good luck!
Official rules after the jump. Read more...
FROM MTV.COM: As expected, "Michael Jackson's This Is It" was the box-office champion over the Halloween weekend, taking in an estimated $21.3 million in the United States. The bigger news was that the documentary chronicling the King of Pop's final rehearsals for his planned 50-show comeback residency in London banked more than $101 million worldwide.
The totals easily made "This Is It" the #1 movie in America, beating out the still-strong thriller "Paranormal Activity," which was second with $16.5 million. Fans who didn't wait in line or rush out to see "This Is It" during its first few days in theaters also got a reprieve, as Sony Pictures — the studio that paid $60 million for the rights to release the film — announced that the planned two-week-only engagement will now be extended through Thanksgiving.
Continue reading 'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Banks $100 Million Around The Globe
1. "Michael Jackson's This Is It" ($21.3 million)
2. "Paranormal Activity" ($16.5 million)
3. "Law Abiding Citizen" ($7.3 million)
3. "Couples Retreat" ($6.1 million)
5. "Saw VI" ($5.6 million)
Would-be moviegoers opted for a weekend filled with trick-or-treating, costume partying and other similar shenanigans in celebration of Saturday night's Halloween, with a select few heading into movie theaters as a way to embrace the holiday. But it wasn't the ghost and slasher-heavy horror flicks that won the weekend — instead, "Michael Jackson's This Is It" commanded the box office with a $21.3 million first place finish. Read more...
1. "Michael Jackson's This Is It" ($7.9 million)
2. "Paranormal Activity" ($6.1 million)
3. "Law Abiding Citizen" ($2.42 million)
4. "Couples Retreat" ($2.38 million)
5. "Where The Wild Things Are" ($1.9 million)
There are ghosts and serial killers aplenty in movie theaters this Halloween weekend, but it appears that moviegoers are looking to celebrate the haunted festivities with none other than Michael Jackson.
The deceased pop sensation is the subject of "Michael Jackson's This Is It," the Sony distributed documentary chronicling Jackson's rehearsals for a massive concert series that never came to pass due to his death. "This Is It" unsurprisingly wound up in first place on Friday evening with $7.9 million, which brings the film's cumulative total to $19.1 million since its opening last Wednesday — but the Jackson documentary hasn't moonwalked all the way to the bank, certainly not in the way that Sony and concert promoter AEG had expected. Read more...
FROM MTV.COM: In life, Michael Jackson set records, sold out shows and entertained millions. Now he may be gone, but judging by the latest numbers from the smash documentary "Michael Jackson's This Is It," the iconic entertainer is continuing to astound.
Following on the heels of Tuesday night's $2.2 million haul at a series of midnight showings, "This Is It" took in another $7.4 million in its first full day of release — and another $12.7 million overseas. Overall, it gives the film a worldwide total of $20.1 million — impressive numbers for a midweek release, not to mention a documentary.
Continue reading 'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Could Break More Box-Office Records
FROM MTV.COM: Predictions were that "Michael Jackson's This Is It" could be the highest-grossing music film of all time, and the documentary chronicling the final concert rehearsals of the King of Pop got off to a good start. A series of late-night screenings pulled in $2.2 million in the U.S. on Tuesday, setting the film up for a possible #1 ranking at the box office this Halloween weekend, according to The Associated Press.
The fright-filled weekend could set up a showdown between the zombie-loving late pop star and the surprise success of low-budget horror flick "Paranormal Activity," which pulled in just $1.7 million on Tuesday after topping the box office last weekend. While "Activity" will expand to its widest release yet over the weekend when it unfolds on 2,400 screens, "This Is It" will be playing on more than 3,500 screens.
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Michael Jackson has dominated my life for the past few months. Even to begin to count the number of stories I've written about the King of Pop since his death in June would make my brain go gooey. I suspect I'm not alone in the brain-gooeyness department when it comes to MJ overexposure. My love of his music, and my respect for the man himself, has been colored and contextualized by the past months, and I really wasn't sure how I would feel as I headed last night to the New York premiere of "Michael Jackson's This Is It."
Again, I suspect I'm not alone when it comes to a diffuse sort of trepidation about the documentary. Do I still care? Can I still listen to his music? Is this whole production simply an exercise in soul-sucking morbidity? After sitting through the 105 minute film, I can report that I certainly still care, that I can listen to his music and that for all the doc's flaws – there are many – it's a seriously important piece of pop culture history. Most importantly, it's a lot of fun. Read more...
