concert promoter AEG also ca EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment have already trumpeted record-breaking sales around the world for the upcoming movie compiled from Michael Jackson's high-def concert rehearsal footage. (Photo above show Paris lines outside The Grand Rex, which sold out shortly after tickets went on sale.) But execs with the pitalizing on the singer's death are now openly predicting that This Is It will make a staggering "$250 million in its first 5 days". And they claim the pic is already $5 million in the black even after Sony Pictures paid $60 million for the movie rights.

*UPDATE: The film is already #1 in ticket sales on big online movie ticketseller Fandango two weeks from release, outselling all of even this weekend’s new releases. This Is It has already sold out more than 1,000 showtimes on Fandango alone, and is outselling the previous bestselling limited-run concert film, Hannah Montana 3D, by a factor of 2 x1 at the same point in that film’s sales cycle. before its release date). Rick Butler, COO for Fandango, says theater owners are posting additional showtimes on multiple screens to meet the demand. "At this point in the film’s sales cycle, This Is It is outpacing Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince, Transformers 2: Revenge Of The Fallen, and Star Trek as one of our top pre-sellers of the year.”*

This Is It debuts in some markets with special advance showings the evening of Tuesday, October 27, and will open worldwide on Wednesday, October 28, in a normal wide release of over 3,000 North American runs, plus day and date in all territories including China or 8,000 foreign screens. jacksonphotos3 When I relayed AEG's $250M-in-5-days figure to my Sony sources for their perspective, I received this response from one insider: "I dont know what they're talking about. That would be bigger than Spider-Man and Harry Potter. It's an event, but it's still a movie." Meanwhile, Sony execs are worried that moviegoers think all the shows are already sold-out because of the hype surrounding advance ticket sales. "We hope they know you can still go to the theater and get a ticket. It's not like a concert." Both AEG and Sony execs maintain they're really only going to release the pic into theaters for a 2 week only run. But AEG sources are letting the cat out of the bag that plans are to bring This Is It back at a later date.