Back in July we learned that Sony Pictures decided to shell out $60 million to purchase the hours of rehearsal footage from Michael Jackson’s This Is It Tour rehearsals with plans to produce a movie that would be shown in theaters. Just yesterday, a California judge OKed the deal and ruled that the studio can move forward with production of the film and within moments of that ruling, Sony Pictures released a press release officially announcing the film’s release date and deets about the film itself … and it sounds like a grand extravaganza. Here are excerpts from that press release:

MICHAEL JACKSON’S “THIS IS IT” TO BE PRESENTED IN THEATERS AROUND THE WORLD BY SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT AND SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT
Film Drawn From Legendary Entertainer’s Last Rehearsals and Behind-The-Scenes Footage Will Be Released October 30th in High Definition with Digital Sound

In the coming weeks, additional information about the film will be available at www.michaeljackson.com.

And there you have it folks … less than 2 months after his death, a movie deal has already been struck, OKed and announced. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if this film generates more than $60 million in its opening weekend. Demand for this film is world wide and it will make money, I’m sure of it. I ain’t gonna lie, I am very curious to see this film and David and I will most likely be there to see it on opening weekend. 3D elements? Oh yeah, I’m curious as hell. Mark your calendars, make your plans … the MJ movie is on the way. How many of y’all are planning to be there opening day?

[Source]

On Monday we learned that major studios were bidding big bucks for the rights to the 1,200 hours of rehearsal footage of the late Michael Jackson prepping his This Is It Tour in the hopes that it could be released in theaters as a movie. Last we heard, bidding was reported to reach as high as $50 million and Sony Pictures was the front runner in the bidding war. There was also talk that some footage might be sold to a TV network for around $20 million for use in a TV special. Today, Entertainment Weekly magazine reports that Sony ended up buying the footage for $60 million and plans to release a movie in October. On the TV side, according to the LA Times,no network seems interested in paying out $20 million for a TV special … so either the price has to come down or there may be no TV special:

Sony Pictures has paid $60 million for the rights to release a movie of footage shot during Michael Jackson’s rehearsals for his This Is It concert tour, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The film will hit theaters October 30. According to other reports, AEG Live, which is said to have 80 hours of rehearsal footage at its disposal, and Jackson’s family will split Sony’s money, with Jackson’s family receiving 90 percent of the fee and establishing a charity in the late singer’s name.

Wow. First off … $60 million … wow. Secondly, October 30 will be here in no time … it’s amazing how quickly these sorts of deals get hammered out. I understand that Kenny Ortega (the choreographer of the This Is It Tour) will direct the film as he worked very closely with MJ on his vision for the show. On the TV end, tho, the early report was that a TV special might air as early as September if a deal was struck … thus far, no deal … which means no TV special:

Frenzied international interest in all things Michael Jackson notwithstanding, it appears there won’t be a TV special this fall. AEG Live, the promoter behind Jackson’s 50 “This Is It” comeback concerts in London, has been negotiating for several days with movie studios for the film rights to the concert rehearsal footage as well as broadcast rights to a tie-in television special. Although NBC was interested in the project as recently as Monday, and other networks showed interest last week, all of the networks balked over AEG’s $20-million price tag for a show that would not include any new or exclusive footage of Jackson performing, several network sources said. Originally, AEG had tried to sell the special to air Aug. 29 — Michael Jackson’s birthday — which falls on a Saturday. But logistical problems — which include Saturday being the lowest-rated night of the week for TV — compelled AEG to stipulate that networks program the special in September when TV viewers return to their couches in high numbers, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak on the matter. Some TV networks also feared that the TV special would be too similar in content to the documentary film that will be made out of the rehearsal footage … If AEG had gotten its way, the TV special would have been directed by Kenny Ortega (who had been working with Jackson as the director of the “This Is It” tour). The plans were for a superstar ensemble that could have included Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake and will.i.am performing Jackson’s hits using the costumes, choreography, and special-effects-driven illusions engineered for the singer’s comeback tour. But no footage of the King of Pop. “And the cost of that thing is $20 million? With no Michael Jackson? Ha!” said one network source who requested anonymity.

I totally agree … $20 million dollars for NO footage of Michael Jackson? WTF? Unless a deal can be worked out soon, it looks like the only way we’ll see any of this MJ tour rehearsal footage is in theaters … on Halloween. Doesn’t that strike you as being … strange? Would YOU go see this movie in theaters?

[Source, Source]

In the wake of Michael Jackson’s untimely and surprising death, producers of his massive This Is It Tour (which was scheduled to begin on July 13, 2009 at the O2 Arena in London, England and go on for 50 dates well into 2010) have been left with hours and hour of rehearsal footage that was meant to be eventually released on DVD after the tour was completed. Today we are learning just how much footage exists and what the new plan is for all of that valuable video. It turns out that AEG Live has about 1,200 hours of rehearsal footage and a movie studio bidding war has gotten underway for the rights to own that footage in order to release a concert video in theaters as early as October and a TV special … as early as September! Here are some of the deets of all the Hollywood action going on behind the scenes concerning all of this MJ video footage:

Over the weekend, Sony Pictures emerged as the front-runner in a frenzied bidding war to acquire Hollywood’s hottest entertainment property: the film rights to footage from Michael Jackson’s rehearsals for his “This Is It” comeback concert series. According to sources close to the negotiations — who declined to be identified because they are not authorized to publicly discuss the matter — AEG Live, the concert promoter behind the superstar’s planned 50-date performance residency at London’s O2 Arena, offered the rights to some 1,200 hours of rehearsal footage to all the major movie studios last week. Sony, Fox, Paramount and Universal all submitted bids. Although Fox and Universal still have bids under consideration, Sony’s aggressive $50-million offer — coupled with the fact that the global entertainment giant’s music division controls distribution of Jackson’s output as an adult solo performer and retains the right to block a competing studio from using his songs — put the studio in the strongest position, a source said Sunday. Sony also controls the so-called sync rights to most of Jackson’s songs, involved whenever recorded music is used in combination with visual images in a production, an important component in the property’s future DVD release. The plan is for the movie to be theatrically released in October. AEG is also selling the broadcast rights for a prime-time television special based around staging and choreography that Jackson personally created for his “This Is It” concerts. That property prompted fevered competition among television networks over the weekend. According to a person with knowledge of the deal, the special would be broadcast in September and it would be directed by Kenny Ortega, the choreographer-director responsible for such hits as “Dirty Dancing” and “High School Musical” who worked closely with Jackson as director of his “This Is It” performances. It is described as featuring an ensemble of superstars that might include Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake and Will.I.Am performing Jackson’s hits using the costuming, choreography, aerial ballet and special effects-driven illusions that had been engineered for the singer’s comeback, a source said. Although it’s been reported that NBC is the front-runner in bidding for the TV special, the network declined comment and denied rumors of a deal. However, sources close to NBC say it is in negotiations to air the special. An announcement about both the television and film projects is expected Monday, a person with knowledge of the deal said. Calls to an AEG spokesman were not returned. A Sony spokesman and a Universal spokeswoman declined to comment. Representatives for Fox did not respond to inquiries seeking comment Sunday.

Because no one outside of these negotiations has seen much of the footage it’s not entirely clear what the quality of all of this footage is … but sources claim much of the footage was shot in HD video and that some portions of the show were filmed in 3D (which was to be a suprise part of the show itself). At this stage, no director has been mentioned as a possible helmsman for the project but it is said that MJ’s estate will get the “lion’s share” of the profits to come from these specials. Again, hearing about all of this footage we are left with thoughts of what could’ve been. But if this report is to be believed, it won’t be long before we’re able to see a lot more of this footage when it gets released on TV and in movie theaters.

[Source]

Yesterday I mentioned that July 13, 2009 was the night that Michael Jackson was scheduled to kick off his 50 date comeback tour titled This Is It at the O2 Arena in London, England. It was reported that fans were planning on convening at the venue in order to pay tribute to the late King of Pop on the night he was to take the stage again after so many years out of the spotlight. Hundreds of fans did gather at the O2 Arena last night to hold vigil and mourn Michael Jackson … here are a few photos from yesterday’s event:

Hundreds of Michael Jackson fans gathered outside London’s O2 Arena on Monday to pay their respects to the entertainer on the day he was to have opened a run of 50 concerts at the venue. Jackson died on June 25, just weeks ahead of his eagerly awaited comeback following years of living as a virtual recluse. The London concerts sold out in record time and some of the 750,000 tickets sold traded hands at hugely inflated prices on the Internet. Underlining fans’ devotion to the “King of Pop”, hundreds turned up to the venue anyway, determined to celebrate their favorite musician. “This was going to be the best summer of my life,” said fan Michael. “I was going to go to five shows altogether, it would have been fantastic. I can’t believe rather than coming here to see him perform I’m here to mourn … It’s devastating, it really is.” Some fans sat quietly beneath a large screen with a picture of Jackson and the words “Michael Jackson 1958-2009″ reflecting on what might have been. Others, including several Jackson impersonators, led sing-a-longs of his greatest hits. Will, another fan, said: “We’ve come here today even if there’s no gig tonight. We’re making our own gig, our own carnival atmosphere, we’re making this what it would have been if Michael had been here.” The man behind chart-topping songs like “Thriller,” “Billie Jean” and “Man in the Mirror” has been mourned the world over since his sudden death at the age of 50, and sales of his records have soared. AEG Live, promoters of Jackson’s planned comeback “residency” in London, have offered fans either full refunds for the canceled shows or the option of keeping their commemorative tickets as keepsakes. Jackson died while rehearsing for the concerts, and AEG has said it hopes to stage a tribute including elements of the This Is It spectacle. Several reports have said organizers are aiming for a date in late August.

As I said yesterday, I can appreciate that fans would want to gather at the site where MJ might’ve pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in musical history. While I had my doubts he’d be able to complete all 50 shows, I absolutely knew he had it in him to put on at least one amazing live performance … under happier circumstances, last night could’ve been that night. I’m sure there will be many more tributes to come but already you can feel that people are starting to move on from the loss. Michael Jackson is finally at peace … now mebbe his fans can find some peace as well.

[Source]

Today, July 13, was supposed to be the day that the late Michael Jackson was to kick off his comeback tour This Is It at London’s O2 Arena. The original opening night was supposed to be July 8 but that show and the 3 after were pushed back to make the new opening night July 13. What started out as a 10 night stint grew to a 22 night stint and then, eventually, a 50 night stint … and according to Joe Jackson, it was the pressure of 50 dates that added to MJ’s early demise:

If he were still alive today, his father Joe Jackson says the King of Pop never would have been able to perform at all 50 shows. In a new interview, he tells ABC News his son – who died June 25 at the age of 50 after suffering cardiac arrest – was pressured into too many dates. (The shows were expected to generate $100 million in ticket sales.) “The comeback tour was a good idea, but the wrong idea about it. There were more tours added onto it,” Joe says. “Michael told me himself. That he agreed to 10 shows. But they went and added all these other shows.” Adds Joe, “I was worried about his health because all the shows that I’m seeing — no artist can do those many shows you know, back to back like that,” Joe Jackson said. “And so I knew Michael couldn’t do all those shows.” Longtime friend and sometimes financial advisor Leonard Rowe, no relation to Jackson’s ex-wife Debbie Rowe, also had his concerns. “Michael Jackson was not ready. He was not fit,” Rowe says, “[unless] you can call weighting 110, 115 pounds fit.” But the tour’s producers have said that Michael was in top form and would have had lots of rest during the run, which would have extended through March 2010.

Altho the This Is It Tour will, obvs, not be taking place tonight, an organized group of fans will still make their way to the O2 Arena to hold vigil for the late Michael Jackson:

Hundreds of Michael Jackson fans are gathering outside London’s O2 Arena this evening (July 16), to pay tribute to the self-styled king of pop on the evening he was due to kick off his 50-date ‘This Is It’ tour at the venue. Jackson’s death in June came before he had performed any of the shows in public, and Facebook groups have encouraged those who were due to attend the shows to pay tribute to the star tonight. Many fans have brought candles and personal tributes for Jackson along with them, reports BBC News, and some are writing messages for the star on a special memorial wall in the grounds of the venue. Officials working for Jackson’s ‘This Is It’ residency promoters AEG Live have hinted that footage of the star rehearsing for what he dubbed his final tour may be officially broadcast and released in the near future, though no dates have been confirmed yet. Promoter Randy Phillips told Billboard that the recording features “Some of the most compelling footage in the 21st century”.

It’s sad but I’m convinced that Joe Jackson will be talking about the death of his son for years and years to come to whoever is interested in talking to him. Whether or not he has valid points and concerns, nothing that he says can at all be taken seriously because he looks like nothing more than an opportunist whose only concern is keeping his name in the media spotlight. As for the fans convening at the O2 Arena tonight … I think it is very natural for his fans to want to convene at the sight of his proposed comeback tour. It’s a shame that we will never really know what his show would’ve been like because no amount of rehearsal footage can do justice to the real thing. I’m sure the tributes will continue for some time to come … but tonight’s vigil sounds like a very nice way for fans in the UK to say goodbye.

[Photo credit: Splash News; Source, Source]

As was reported the day after Michael Jackson died, MJ ran thru a full dress rehearsal of his planned This Is It Tour concert performance at the Staples Center here in LA on the night before he passed away. It turns out that the dress rehearsals that took place before his death were recorded from multiple angles and were photographed extensively as part of MJ’s deal with the concert promoter. The This Is It show was to be released as a live DVD/CD after the show finished its run (and may yet be released now that he has died). Here are a couple of the photos that were taken of Michael Jackson’s concert performance at the Staples Center just two nights before he passed away:

These are the last pictures of Michael Jackson on stage, taken just two days before he died. The images of the singer hard at work rehearsing for upcoming tour This Is It give a glimpse of what was in store for fans at his planned gigs in London’s 02. Jackson was due to begin the first of 50 dates at the arena on July 13, but died on Thursday after being rushed to hospital in Los Angeles. In one of the newly-emerged images, taken on Tuesday at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, the singer points towards the audience as backing dancers perform in front of a huge This Is It banner. Despite looking frail, the star strikes a familiar pose and appears to be in full flow during the rehearsal. In another photo, he smiles broadly, microphone in hand, dressed in a long shimmering mac over a top and trousers. More than 800,000 tickets costing up to £1,000 had been sold for the concerts at London’s O2 arena which were hailed as the most ‘expensive and technically advanced’ live shows ever. The concerts, which were due to start in two weeks’ time, had been expected to be the highest grossing pop production of all time. Hundreds of thousands of fans who bought tickets for the cancelled gigs have been told they will be entitled to a refund. Footage from Jackson’s final rehearsals is already being compiled for a DVD and album. The star is believed to have been filmed running through his songs and dance routines the day before he died. It is expected that when released this could become one of the star’s biggest selling works. It is understood filming took place last Wednesday during Jackson’s rehearsals at the Los Angeles Staples Centre for the 50-date This Is It tour. It remains unclear who has official ownership of the footage. A spokesman for concert promoter AEG declined to comment. It is expected that the star’s estate will make more money in the next year from his music than he did in the last decade of his life. The king of pop’s family will release a series of posthumous albums, starting this Christmas. It is understood Jackson wrote a number of songs for his three children, which were not to be released until after his death. There are also songs left over from his last album, Invincible, released in 2001. A tribute show is planned for September with Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and Barbra Streisand said to be in talks to appear.

Now, before y’all get all excited about news of these “posthumous albums” and this tribute concert, keep in mind that neither of these reports has been confirmed. We do know that AEG was planning to release a CD/DVD of his This Is It Tour performance but, again, now that he has passed away it remains to be seen if that will actually happen (but my gut tells me that it will).

Additionally, folks who purchased tickets for Michael Jackson’s This Is It Tour are being referred to MichaelJacksonLive.com for ticket refund information starting July 1. The concert promoter is promising a full refund (including service fees) for folks who bought tickets thru authorized outlets BUT are also giving the option of allowing ticket holders to get hard copy tickets for the show (which never happened) in lieu of payment:

REFUND POLICY ANNOUNCED FOR MICHAEL JACKSON THIS IS IT TICKET HOLDERS

The special offer to receive the actual tickets that the purchaser would have received to attend ‘This is It’ will remain valid thru 23:59 GMT, August 14, 2009.

David and I purchased tickets for MJ’s This Is It Tour via Ticketmaster so we should be fine with our refunds … it sucks, tho, that if you want to keep your ticket you have to lose out on the cost of the ticket. It would be much cooler if AEG offered tickets to purchasers along with their refunds (at a nominal fee, of course). In any event, if this CD/DVD gets released, then fans may yet get to see MJ in action in his last performance ever … of course, AEG stands to recoup some of the money they lost upon MJ’s death as well. Even in death, MJ’s “life” is a bit of a circus. I hope he is able to rest in peace … some day.

[Photo credit: Getty; Source, Source]

Uh oh! Bad news for fans who were planning on attending the opening night performance of Michael Jackson’s much ballyhooed comeback tour titled This Is It which will take place over 50 nights at the O2 Arena in London, England starting this Summer. Jacko’s management issued an announcement that the first few dates in July have been pushed back to February and March of next year! This means if you have tickets for the July 8, 10, 12 and 14th shows then your tickets will only be valid next year. The new opening night date is July 13th:

Michael Jackson has rescheduled the first four shows of his sell-out This Is It tour at London’s O2 Arena causing chaos for fans. The first gig will now be July 13 and not July 8 as originally planned. And fans with tickets for next three shows will now have to wait until next year to see the King of Pop, with the July 10 show moved to March 1, 2010; July 12 to March 3, 2010 and July 14 to March 6, 2010. Apparently it’s due to his management “wanting the production to be the best it can”, fans have been told via an email from organisers. The email said:

“This afternoon Michael Jackson producers will be announcing the rescheduling and change of the opening shows in order to meet the challenges presented by such a large and technically complex concert. Please allow us to apologise. It was not an easy decision to change the schedule but in the end we wanted to ensure that all of Michael’s fans attending the concerts get the same quality in staging and level of entertainment. We are writing to let you know that the July 10th concert that you purchased tickets for at the O2 arena has now been rescheduled for 1st March 2010. The tickets you receive will be printed with the rescheduled date and you will have the same seat originally purchased. You do not have to do anything as you will be automatically allocated the same seats and moved to the revised date. We understand the inconvenience this may have caused and for this reason we have secured some excellent hotel deals for Michael Jackson fans travelling to London on these rescheduled dates.”

Wow! This is some bullshizz! I would be PISSED if I had tickets for the opening night show and now have to wait until next year to see it! What a complete and utter eff up. To be honest, I’m not at all that surprised. I imagine there will be other postponements and/or cancellations. I cannot believe that MJ is ready for an undertaking of this magnitude and I’m pretty sure that this mess is the beginning of a lot more mess. We have tickets for a September show (I even told David it’d be smart to get tix well into his tour just in case something like this happened). All I know is I wanna see this trainwreck on stage once in my lifetime. What a mess … I feel so bad for his diehard fans who are now totally screwed.

[Source]