“This is It” Wins Weekend Box Office, Maintains Jackson Dominance

The late Michael Jackson has been one of the top-selling music artists of the year, and curiosity and celebration for the King of Pop helped his movie “This is It” top the weekend box office.

The film grossed an estimated $21.3 million this weekend, holding off a solid performance from second place finisher “Paranormal Activity” ($16.5 million). To date, the Jackson film has earned $32.5 million.

“Law Abiding Citizen” ($7.3 million), “Couples Retreat” ($6.1 million) and “Saw VI” ($5.6 million) rounded out the top five.

No new films were released to compete with “This is It” on a wide basis, with “The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day” landing as the only other newcomer in the top 25. On a 68-screen release basis, the film grossed $462,000, which is nothing to write home about for a limited release with a decent amount of hype (just $6800 per screen).

Weekend Top Ten:
1) “Michael Jackson’s This is It” - $21.3 million ($32.5 million)
2) Paranormal Activity - $16.5 million ($84.8 million)
3) Law Abiding Citizen - $7.3 million ($51.4 million)
4) Couples Retreat - $6.1 million ($86.7 million)
5) Saw VI - $5.6 million ($22.8 million)
6) Where The Wild Things Are - $5.1 million ($61.8 million)
7) The Stepfather - $3.4 million ($24.7 million)
8) Astro Boy - $3 million ($10.9 million)
9) Amelia - $3 million ($8.3 million)
10) Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant - $2.5 million ($10.8 million)