The Michael Jackson concert film "This Is It" has crossed the $100 million mark at international box offices as it enters its second weekend in theaters, the studio behind the movie said yesterday.

The film has grossed $144 million worldwide, including $44 million from the United States and Canada. That is more than double the tally of receipts for 2008's blockbuster concert film "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds," a movie some box office watchers had used as a benchmark for "This Is It."

Outside of North America, the biggest theatrical markets through Thursday night were: Japan with $18.2 million, Britain with $11.1 million and Germany with $8.9 million. "This Is It," distributed by Sony Corp-owned Columbia Pictures, was produced from footage of Jackson rehearsing for a series of comeback concerts in London in the final weeks before his June 25 death from an overdose of powerful medication.

The movie opened on Oct. 28 and originally was planned to play for just two weeks, but Sony extended the film's run. The film is now slated to run until early December in the United States and Canada.

Joe Jackson seeks allowance from son's estate

Meanwhile, Joe Jackson, the elderly father of late pop star, yesterday filed a court petition seeking an allowance from the singer's estate, saying his son had supported him for many years. The filing claims Joe Jackson, who suffers from diabetes, was supported by Michael Jackson before his sudden death through payments made to the singer's mother and Joe Jackson's wife, Katherine Jackson, which were passed on to Joe Jackson.

Joe Jackson says his expenses exceed $20,000 per month, but his income from US Social Security is a mere $1,700. "Mr. Jackson's circumstances require a family allowance because he is 81 years old and Michael Jackson supported him in the same manner as his wife, Katherine Jackson, who was Michael's mother and who the court granted a family allowance on October 2," says the petition.

Michael Jackson, known as the King of Pop for his chart-topping record career, died of a drug overdose on June 25 at age 50 in Los Angeles only weeks before he was to have begun a series of comeback concerts in London.

In his will, Michael Jackson left his estate to a family trust benefiting his three children, mother and charities. When the estate's administrators sought court approval for an allowance to help Katherine Jackson pay her expenses, they excluded Joe Jackson "without cause and for no apparent reason," according to the petition filed  yesterday.

A declaration accompanying the filing states that in the early 2000s, Michael Jackson paid Katherine Jackson roughly $50,000 a month and that amount grew to $66,000 per month later this decade. The declaration claims Michael Jackson knew some of that money was passed along to Joe Jackson to help him pay his expenses, and the suit says those payments have now stopped. -Reuters