"This Is It" opened to a studio-estimated $68.5 million in 108 foreign territories from Wednesday through Sunday and $32.5 million in the U.S. and Canada, the New York Times reported.
The movie’s biggest international market was Japan, where it sold nearly $10.4 million tickets, the third-biggest opening of the year in the country, the Times reported.
All told, "This Is It" came in at the low end of expectations domestically but performed solidly overseas, bringing in $101 million worldwide, the Times said. More important for Sony, however, the movie kept humming after its so-so $20.1-million start Wednesday.
It's typical for concert movies to fall rapidly after an initial burst of enthusiasm from fans when they open.
"I don't think it's going to be like a traditional concert movie that burns itself out very quickly," Rory Bruer, Sony's president of distribution, told the Times.
Sony announced Sunday that it was extending the run of "This Is It" beyond the previously planned two weeks. In the U.S., it will now stay in theaters until Thanksgiving.
