Jackson is `It' at box office with $23.2M weekend

LOS ANGELES (AP) - "Michael Jackson's This Is It" danced to the head of the box office, debuting with $23.2 million domestically in its first weekend.

"This Is It," featuring performances Jackson rehearsed for a marathon concert stand planned before his death in June, took in $103 million worldwide in its first five days.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Hollywood.com:

1. "Michael Jackson's This Is It," Sony, $23,234,394, 3,481 locations, $6,675 average, $34,442,926, one week.

2. "Paranormal Activity," Paramount, $16,387,327, 2,404 locations, $6,817 average, $84,627,372, six weeks.

3. "Law Abiding Citizen," Overture Films, $7,403,630, 2,764 locations, $2,679 average, $51,485,280, three weeks.

4. "Couples Retreat," Universal, $6,460,525, 3,026 locations, $2,135 average, $87,026,280, four weeks.

5. "Where the Wild Things Are," Warner Bros., $5,931,417, 3,645 locations, $1,627 average, $62,650,379, three weeks.

6. "Saw VI," Lionsgate, $5,270,794, 3,036 locations, $1,736 average, $22,534,749, two weeks.

7. "Astro Boy," Summit, $3,460,651, 3,020 locations, $1,146 average, $11,316,418, two weeks.

8. "The Stepfather," Sony Screen Gems, $3,207,792, 2,346 locations, $1,367 average, $24,555,801, three weeks.

9. "Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant," Universal, $3,098,185, 2,754 locations, $1,125 average, $10,809,975, two weeks.

10. "Amelia," Fox Searchlight, $3,034,667, 1,070 locations, $2,836 average, $8,340,499, two weeks.

11. "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," Sony, $2,747,476, 2,322 locations, $1,183 average, $118,604,078, seven weeks.

12. "Zombieland," Sony, $2,620,655, 2,056 locations, $1,275 average, $71,181,556, five weeks.

13. "A Serious Man," Focus, $1,036,396, 238 locations, $4,355 average, $4,595,629, five weeks.

14. "Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day," Apparition, $546,687, 68 locations, $8,040 average, $546,687, one week.

15. "An Education," Sony Pictures Classics, $467,376, 48 locations, $9,737 average, $1,537,993, four weeks.

16. "Halloween II," Weinstein Co., $445,344, 1,083 locations, $411 average, $33,096,757, 10 weeks.

17. "Good Hair," Roadside Attractions, $422,472, 418 locations, $1,011 average, $3,453,044, four weeks.

18. "The Invention of Lying," Warner Bros., $393,270, 452 locations, $870 average, $17,589,249, five weeks.

19. "Capitalism: A Love Story," Overture, $373,992, 492 locations, $760 average, $13,664,911, six weeks.

20. "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2" in 3-D," Disney, $262,347, 343 locations, $765 average, $30,593,152, five weeks.

---

On the Net:

http://www.hollywood.com/boxoffice

Koda Bear went trick-or-treating as an old west sheriff. His candy take was not so hot this year. I think he will try his luck with another town next year.

I had planned to post a funny photo here for your Halloween. But the computer and bravenet had other ideas. After about 5 attemps the computer lost the photo. Don't you it?

- Paul