The Reject Report Believes This Is It
Posted by John Cairns (jcairns@filmschoolrejects.com) on October 28, 2009
Welcome to another edition of the Reject Report, and there is one movie, just one movie, that anyone really is focusing on this weekend. It is Michael Jackson’s This Is It, and it goes wide into 3,481 locations on Wednesday.
This is, of course, the long-awaited behind-the-scenes look at Michael Jackson in the last days of his life as he prepared his much-anticipated comeback tour, with footage shot at The Forum and Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. It’s directed by Kenny Ortega and features interviews, backstage footage, you name it, as Jackson prepared for his sold-out shows in London to launch his return. Here’s a look at the trailer:
There really isn’t much I need to say here. I fully expect this movie will have the biggest October open in history, as we have heard all kinds of reports of sellouts in major cities. I am looking at a Wednesday haul of $20 million, a Thursday haul of $15 million and a weekend total somewhere in the $46 million range. And that is my prediction for the weekend. He may not have lived to see it, but I’d say the comeback is a success regardless of whether Jackson is alive or not. Already the movie has made $2.2 million in Tuesday late-show showings and was up to $2.2 million by noon Wednesday, so it’s on its way.
The weekend haul ought to look like this:
- Michael Jackson’s This Is It $46 million
- Paranormal Activity $19 million
- Where the Wild Things Are $8 million
- Law Abiding Citizen $7.5 million
- Saw VI $7 million
- Couples Retreat $6.5 million
- Astro Boy $4 million
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs $3.6 million
- The Stepfather $3.1 million
- Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant $2.9 million
That is it and that is all. See you on the weekend when we count all the loot Michael Jackson made in death — here at the Reject Report.
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