THIS IS IT Draws A Crowd At The Box Office
Michael Jackson’s concert documentary This Is It won the top spot at the box office, grossing an estimated $21.3 million over the weekend to bring its five-day total to $32.5 million.
The total fell well short of expectations, which started out modest but ballooned after strong pre-sales and a $7.4 million Wednesday haul. It seemed most theatergoers itching to see the late King of Pop do his thing one more time showed up on opening day though; Thursday numbers fell to only $3.7 million. The doc did gross $68.5 million in foreign ticket sales however, which brings its 5-day worldwide total to an impressive $101 million. Though This Is It wasn’t able to top the single day or opening weekend figures of Hannah Montana: Best of Both Worlds, its worldwide sales have already topped the Disney pop princess’ lifetime tally to become the “biggest concert movie of all time” that it was promised to be.
Paranormal Activity continued its strong run, finishing second with $16.5 million. Its total sits at a lofty $84.8 million after 6 weeks. Saw VI meanwhile continued to disappoint, bleeding out to 5th place with $5.6 million for a $22.8 million two-week total. Rounding out the top 5 was Law Abiding Citizen in 3rd with $7.3 million and Couples Retreat in 4th with $6.1 million.
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day opened in the specialty market to the tune of $462,000 in 68 venues, or a so-so $6,794 per-theater average. It goes wide starting on November 13.
Next weekend will be a crowded market as four new films come to the box office. Richard Kelly’s horror thriller The Box, Robert Zemeckis’ motion-captured A Christmas Carol, the based-on-a-true-story alien abduction thriller The Fourth Kind, and George Clooney comedy The Men Who Stare At Goats all will hit theaters. Jim Carrey and a family-friendly classic should be enough to vault A Christmas Carol to the top of that pack, though where the other three finish will be tough to call. I’ll say The Box wins some intrigue points to finish second, while Men Who Stare At Goats will come in third. I feel like The Fourth Kind’s audience has largely had their docu-horror dose this year with Paranormal Activity, so it will probably finish last among the new releases. As for the specialty market, the Sundance darling Precious goes into limited release. The record remains at 48 for 60.
Check out the top 12 below, or head on over to Box Office Mojo for the full weekend chart:
New releases highlighted in yellow
| TW | LW | Title (click to view) | Studio | Weekend Gross | % Change | Theater Count / Change | Average | Total Gross | Budget* | Week # | |
| 1 | N | Michael Jackson’s This Is It | Sony | $21,300,000 | - | 3,481 | - | $6,119 | $32,509,000 | - | 1 |
| 2 | 1 | Paranormal Activity | Par. | $16,540,000 | -21.6% | 2,404 | +459 | $6,880 | $84,780,000 | $0.015 | 6 |
| 3 | 4 | Law Abiding Citizen | Over. | $7,303,000 | -41.1% | 2,764 | -126 | $2,642 | $51,385,000 | $50 | 3 |
| 4 | 5 | Couples Retreat | Uni. | $6,097,000 | -42.6% | 3,026 | -48 | $2,015 | $86,663,000 | $70 | 4 |
| 5 | 2 | Saw VI | LGF | $5,560,000 | -60.6% | 3,036 | - | $1,831 | $22,824,000 | $11 | 2 |
| 6 | 3 | Where the Wild Things Are | WB | $5,081,000 | -63.8% | 3,645 | -90 | $1,394 | $61,800,000 | $100 | 3 |
| 7 | 8 | The Stepfather (2009) | SGem | $3,400,000 | -45.4% | 2,346 | -388 | $1,449 | $24,748,000 | $20 | 3 |
| 8 | 6 | Astro Boy | Sum. | $3,035,000 | -54.7% | 3,020 | +6 | $1,005 | $10,891,000 | $65 | 2 |
| 9 | 11 | Amelia | FoxS | $3,000,000 | -23.2% | 1,070 | +250 | $2,804 | $8,306,000 | $40 | 2 |
| 10 | 7 | Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant | Uni. | $2,809,000 | -55.4% | 2,754 | - | $1,020 | $10,521,000 | $40 | 2 |
| 11 | 9 | Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs | Sony | $2,700,000 | -48.6% | 2,322 | -419 | $1,163 | $118,557,000 | $100 | 7 |
| 12 | 10 | Zombieland | Sony | $2,600,000 | -38.2% | 2,056 | -391 | $1,265 | $71,161,000 | $23.6 | 5 |
Tags: A Christmas Carol, Boondock Saints 2, Box Office, Paranormal Activity, Precious, Saw VI, The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, The Box, The Fourth Kind, The Men Who Stare At Goats, This Is It
