LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Michael Jackson movie “This Is It” earned $20.1 million at worldwide box offices on its first day in theaters as fans around the globe turned out in strong numbers,Columbia Pictures said on Thursday.
The movie studio said the film, which shows the late pop star rehearsing for a series of comeback concerts before his death in June, made $7.4 million in the United States and Canada, and another $12.7 million internationally.
“The studio believes that the worldwide launch, with very strong performance across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia, represents an amazing beginning for the film and a reaffirmation of the global appeal of Michael Jackson,” Columbia Pictures spokesman Steve Elzer said in a statement.
Finding comparable films to “This Is It” is difficult because of the movie’s unusual nature as a hybrid documentary and concert film, as well as the fact that its star was not alive to promote it.
