“Michael Jackson’s This It IT” pre-opening ticket sales soar
Advance sales for “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” look set to make the concert movie starring the late King of Pop into one of the hottest tickets of the year.
Barely ten days ahead of its opening, the singer’s concert film has generated more than 1,600 sold-out US showtimes and is the top seller this week at two major online ticket outlets.
That puts “This Is It” in the same territory as next month’s highly anticipated “Twilight” sequel “New Moon” and other films that have generated high pre-release sales.
“The pre-sales activity all over the world has been nothing short of extraordinary,” Steve Elzer, a spokesman for Sony Corp.-owned Columbia Pictures, the studio behind the film. But exhibitors have really met the demand by adding screens, and tickets are available for anyone who would want to see it, anytime.”
Offering Michael Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer, his career, and the stage spectacular that would have been, “This Is It” will provide moviegoers with an unforgettable front row experience compiled from extensive footage that shows Jackson ‘s meticulous preparation for his 2009 London shows.
Online ticket seller Fandango.com reported that it has sold out more than 1,000 showtimes in the United States for “This Is It” on its site alone. Competing outlet MovieTickets.com said it has generated more than 600 sold-out showtimes.
Both Fandango and MovieTickets, the two top US online ticket sellers, said “This Is It” is on-pace to become their top concert movie ever. For now, the 2008 film “Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour” is the biggest concert movie ever for the online ticket sellers. It made more than $70.6 million at worldwide box offices but played in fewer than 700 US theaters.
Sony Pictures is aiming to outpace the “Hannah Montana” movie, as “This Is It” is expected to play on about 3,500 screens in the US and Canada alone. Aside from that, Sony plans to ship more than 8,500 prints of the film to exhibitors in 75 countries (including the Philippines ), for a near simultaneous worldwide release of the film.
In the Philippines, the following theaters are now briskly selling advance tickets on site over the counter: all SM Cinemas in Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao; all Ayala Cinemas including Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3, Greenbelt 1, Trinoma, Market Market, Alabang Town Center, Marquee Pampanga and Ayala Cebu; selected Robinsons Cinemas including Galleria, Manila, Metro East and Forum Pioneer; Shangri-La and Gateway cineplexes.
Other theatres like Eastwood, Powerplant, Greenhills, Festival and Sta. Lucia are also expected to start selling advance tickets before the movie’s Oct. 28 opening.
Tickets to Philippine screenings are sold only in cinema ticket counters and are not available for sale on the Internet.
“Michael Jackson’s This Is It” is distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.sonypictures.com.ph to see the latest trailers, get free downloads and play free movie games.