Even before Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” officially opens, box office experts were already predicting that it could surpass Mel Gibson’s 2004 “The Passion of the Christ” in sales. These movies have much in common as they both tackle the lives of iconic figures opening without precedent and arriving with huge expectation. Both films had also encountered criticisms from different sectors.
“The Passion of the Christ” set a record of earning $83.8 million in its five-day sales. For its mid-week opening, “This is It” earned $2.2 million in ticket sales after airing in more than 3,400 theaters in the U.S. and Canada. Sony Pictures, distributor for the film, announced that for its opening day, they had grossed a total of $7.4 million while “Passion of the Christ” earned a whopping $26.6 million already on its opening day. It’s clear that the King of Pop could be no match to the King of Kings.
The big difference came to play with faithful fans of both films. Christian churches welcomed “Passion” as a calling by packing theaters every day. Jackson’s fans on the other hand are busy with school or work on weekdays. They only had time to see their idol on evenings and weekends.
With a sold-out 3,400 theaters on Sunday, the film is capable of topping $50 million for its five-day opening. Sony Pictures is more than happy for their earnings for a concert film which they invested $60 million in rehearsal footage. It’s no doubt the DVD release which is the permanent record of the last act will hit huge waves of success.
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