Bigger Than Michael?: BieberDoc Becomes Highest Grossing Concert/Music Film of All Time

According to weekend box office estimates, the Justin Bieber 3D documentary NEVER SAY NEVER has now inched past MICHAEL JACKSON'S THIS IS IT to become the highest grossing music or concert documentary of all time.  NEVER is now estimated to have grossed $72.2M through Sunday, while the postumous Jackson film tapped out at $72.1.  NEVER, which was directed by Jon Chu, was released by Paramount; THIS IS IT was distributed by Sony in October 2009.  Official figures will be released tomorrow.

NEVER SAY NEVER now sits just half a million behind JACKASS: NUMBER TWO (another Paramount title) at number five on the all time nonfiction chart.  The number three film, MARCH OF THE PENGUINS, looks safe in its position with $77.4M, as the Bieber doc is shedding screens and ticket sales with each week.

Although the BieberDoc will likely end its run as the highest grossing concert/music film (at least in North America), it certainly isn't the one with the most ticket sales.  NEVER's higher 3D ticket price means that THIS IS IT had more admissions.  In fact, if you allow for inflation, it's pretty certain that WOODSTOCK, the 1970 Oscar-winning phenomenon that was re-released numerous times (and for which there's skimpy box office data) remains the most ticketed music or concert doc in history.

It looks to be a solid spring for nonfiction titles: Disneynature's latest, AFRICAN CATS, is set to go wide on April 22, their now-traditional Earth Day release spot (which just precedes Easter weekend).  Disneynature's previous titles EARTH and OCEANS grossed $32M and $19.4M respectively.  That same date, the spring's other big doc title will open in select cities: Morgan Spurlock's THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD.

Comments

[Alondra Jimenez]

Umm thats quite wrong it rose higher than jackson had for the first weekend totals but all together MJ's is still the highest grossing concert movie of all time
Michael Jackson:
Budget $60 million
Gross revenue $261,183,588

Justin Bieber:
Budget $13 million[1]
Gross revenue $98,111,669

[Jusin Biebe Photo]

i believe that in few years justin will be next michael.. but he have to do a lot a work before ofcourse..