Jackson's This Is It passes $200 million worldwide
Michael Jackson's concert movie This Is It has taken more than $200 million at box offices worldwide in the first two weeks of release, the studio behind the movie said on Thursday.
Sony Pictures Entertainment said the movie had grossed $61 million in North America and more than $140 million internationally. Japan ($27.2 million) and the UK ($14.3 million) were particularly strong markets.
The movie is now the 22nd biggest grossing movie worldwide of 2009, according to industry tracker boxofficemojo.com
This Is It, distributed by Sony Corp-owned Columbia Pictures, was compiled from footage of Jackson rehearsing for a series of planned comeback concerts before his sudden death in June.
Sony paid concert promoters AEG and Jackson's estate about $60 million for the right to make and distribute the movie.
The $200 million plus gross is almost three times more than 2008's Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour -- a movie some box office watchers had used as a benchmark for This Is It.
The Jackson film opened on October 28 for a planned two week run but has since been extended until early December.