The King of Pop departed from us on June 25, but his popularity continues to flourish. Fans all over the world are shaking in wild anticipation for their chance to see Michael Jackson in action, once again, in the form of film. The documentary, titled THIS IS IT and directed by Kenny Ortega, doesn’t come out until October 28th, but it is already setting some hefty records – I’m talking monumental worldwide records.

Ticket pre-sales for THIS IS IT are selling out and marking new top sales numbers, overshooting past pre-sales champions like the LORD OF THE RINGS and HARRY POTTER franchises.

Record-setting sales have been recorded in Holland, Sweden, Belgium, and New Zealand. In Japan alone, $1 million in tickets were sold on the first day they became available. In London, more than a whopping 30,000 tickets were sold on the first day.

These numbers are absolutely mind-boggling; that is, until you consider who the subject of this documentary is. THIS IS IT is a documentary that is put together from over 100 hours of hi-def rehearsal footage. This documentary was amazingly filmed just weeks before the artist’s untimely and tragic death. It will give audiences a chance to connect with Jackson on a level that few have been able to before, providing an unparalleled and intimate look at one of, if not the greatest musician of all time.

It is phenomenal news when a documentary is able to speak to a wide array of viewers and succeed at the theatrical level. It looks to me that it won’t be long before THIS IS IT becomes the most successful documentary, at least as far as ticket sales goes, of all time. Michael Jackson set sales records his entire life, so why not set a couple after death? Michael Jackson was, and still is, a legend, and legends continue to make an impact beyond their deaths.

Look for the documentary in theaters on October 28th. The new single, titled “This Is It,” will be available on October 27th.

Source MTV