Michael Jackson has died

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Fans grab Jackson movie tickets

Michael Jackson fans have continued to snap up advance tickets for This Is It with more than 120,000 sold so far by the UK's two biggest cinema chains.

Vue said it had sold 64,000 tickets in the two-and-a-half weeks since their release, while Odeon said it had sold 60,000 tickets.

Based on rehearsal footage of Jackson's 50-date London residency, the film is only being released for a two-week run.

This Is It will premiere simultaneously around the world on 28 October.

The film has broken one-day advance sales records, beating the likes of the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings films.



'Pay tribute'

Odeon cinemas sold 35,000 tickets in its first 24 hours - five times that of previous record holder Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - with Vue taking bookings for 40,000 tickets over 48 hours.

While the UK premiere will take place at 0100 BST in London's Leicester Square, both cinemas are holding screenings at 0400 BST to cope with demand from fans.

Odeon's Rupert Gavin said: "The fact that people have responded so overwhelmingly to the advance sale of these tickets proves how heightened anticipation is for the release."

Tim Richards from Vue Entertainment added: "This Is It is the ideal opportunity for fans to celebrate the life of and pay tribute to Michael Jackson."

This Is It has been put together from more than 100 hours of behind-the-scenes footage featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show that would have taken place this summer in London's O2 Arena.

The singer died three weeks before the opening night.

The film has already sold out more than 1,600 screenings in the US.

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