This press release just came in:
Beginning October 30th, the world will have a front-row seat for Michael Jackson’s final concert, as Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment release Michael Jackson's This Is It.
This Is It is being produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and will be drawn from hundreds of hours of rehearsal and behind-the-scenes footage, captured in high definition with state of the art digital sound as the late singer was preparing for his concert series in London. The film, which will also offer select sequences in 3-D, will provide a unique career retrospective and feature interviews with some of Jackson's closest friends and creative collaborators.
The announcement was made by Michael Lynton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman of the studio, Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, Chief Executive Officer of Sony Music Entertainment, and Rob Stringer, Chairman of Columbia/Epic Label Group, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. The companies serve as the principal entertainment divisions of Sony Corporation.
Joining Sony in the announcement was The Estate of Michael Jackson, administered by his longtime attorney John Branca and veteran music executive John McClain, a Jackson family friend for more than 40 years. Proceeds the Estate earns from the film’s release will benefit the Michael Jackson Family Trust, the entity that Mr. Jackson specified in his will is to receive all of his assets.
The rights to the exclusive footage were acquired from AEG Live and The Estate of Michael Jackson. Sony Pictures and Sony Music will co-produce with AEG Live and the Estate, and Sony Pictures will distribute the film worldwide. Randy Phillips and Paul Gongaware of AEG Live will serve as producers of the film.
The majority of the film's footage was shot in June, 2009 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California, and The Forum in Inglewood, California, as Jackson prepared for "This Is It," the series of fifty concerts Jackson planned to present at the O2 Arena in London.
This Is It will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer, his career, and the stage spectacular that would have been. The film will provide moviegoers with an unforgettable front row experience compiled from extensive footage that shows Jackson's meticulous preparation for his 2009 London shows.
Said Branca, “Our goal is to work with partners who treat Michael’s legacy with dignity and respect, while allowing us to substantially build the value of his estate for the benefit of Mrs. Katherine Jackson, Michael’s three children and the charitable causes that meant so much to him during his life. We are confident we found the right partners for this project in Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment. Sony and Michael enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial history together, and it’s only fitting that the relationship continues.”
Said McClain, “This film is not only a tribute to an artist who created excitement every moment he was on stage, but also is a fitting gift to the millions of fans worldwide who loved him and who he devoted his professional life to entertaining. John and I are thrilled to be working with Sony to build on Michael’s musical legacy in a way that will generate significant proceeds for his family and for children in need.”
"People who have seen this footage are astounded by the amazing quality of Michael Jackson's performance," said Lynton. "This historic recording of the last time he sang and danced on stage shows the legendary artist in an incredibly powerful way, with crystal clear images and sound. We understand the importance of producing a film that pays tribute to Michael as an artist, and are honored to work with the Estate of Michael Jackson to give audiences the gift of his final performances. I know this film will serve as further proof that Michael Jackson is one of the greatest entertainers who ever graced a stage."
"Michael lives on through his songs, his creative genius, his body of work and his passion for his art," said Rob Stringer. "He was a perfectionist on stage and through this unique film, audiences will be able to see, many for the first time, how much Michael poured into making his performances as special as they were perfect."
Said Kenny Ortega, director of and Jackson’s creative partner on the This Is It concert, “The world will see what our team was so fortunate to experience, which was the full commitment, passion and creativity that Michael put into this project. He was the architect of This Is It, and we were his builders. The footage that was captured from the early stages of the production to our technical rehearsals at the STAPLES Center in L.A. will show Michael as he truly was, creatively involved with every aspect of the production, from the staging and choreography, to the music, lighting, production design and conception of the original short films and video backdrops. It will also show Michael as one of the greatest entertainers in the world and one of the industry's most creative minds. This Is It was Michael’s last theatrical work and although it was still a work in progress, I think the footage will show that the process was something that Michael deeply enjoyed and that it was clear that he was on his way to another theatrical triumph.”
In the coming weeks, additional information about the film will be available at Michael Jackson | Michael Jackson This Is It | Michael Jackson Videos | Michael Jackson Music | Michael Jackson Movie | The Official Michael Jackson Site.
As Latoya said, MJ is worth more dead than alive. I personally won't be seeing the movie.
Disco Funk
*****
someone has already leaked the ending.
I hear in the end Michael Jackson unexpectedly ...
...well - I won't assist in giving it away ....
*****
Last edited by remicks; August 10th, 2009 at 09:01 PM.
you'd still be waiting for me at the airport
while my ship was coming in
I would have loved to see the Michael&LaToya Jackson footage that the distributor of BRUNO had removed from all prints of the film, in panic. Maybe it all will surface in the upcoming dvd edition?
Last edited by Videoskooter; September 14th, 2009 at 01:45 PM.
I want to see it (the movie), and purchase the DVD. I loved Michael Jackson the Entertainer. His personal life was none of my business and I wasn't really personally interested in that, unless I would have known him or had been close to him. Being that I am an Entertainer myself I was a long time fan of his and admirer of his music, the Entertainer, and the personage as well.
Yes, more money is being made off and from him now that he is gone, but that's the way of the world. The man needed help, though he had money and basically lost it all, and in the end no one really cared, I guess because they thought as a famous person, he needed no help and he would somehow wiggle out of his problems. Not true.
Garry
KEEP DANCIN Y'ALL! REMEMBER, DISCO IS STILL ALIVE, IT HAS DROPPED IT'S NAME AND CHANGED IT'S FACE OVER THE YEARS TO FIT EACH GENERATION AND TIME, BUT THE MISSION REMAINS THE SAME; TO KEEP EM DANCIN!
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Garry
It's now confirmed that on the 12th of October, Michaels new single "This Is It" will be released!
All we know so far is that his brothers are doing the background vocals and that it will also be featured on the 2CD soundtrack which will feature new material, recently recorded with artists like Akon and Will.i.am and previously unreleased versions of his other hits!
BTW, this was the new dance MJ was rehearsing:
Gosh he looks so thin!:icon_sad:
...ya gotta beat the street......
He looks like Ann Bancroft from The Miracle Worker.
That 'penguin' dance is horrible. I don't really know what more to say. It looks like he's having some kind of seizure, trying to catch his balance, or he cut a big one. The Godfather of Soul even in his 70s didn't look so frail.
Rufus Thomas already sang about doing the Penguin back in the early 70s, Lunar Funk sang about Mr Penguin, the Trammps were talking about some Penguin At The Big Apple, and some guy made a video of himself dancing to The Penguin by Kool & The Gang. ;)
Disco Funk
The problem is that we only see a snippet here where he is demonstrating/trying out this new thing. I hope we are going to see it in "real" during the movie. Although professional dancers state that the moves are not as easy as they seem.
I do hope that the movie is a real tribute to MJ and I'm definitely going to the theatre for it. I want to see his last concert on a big screen.
Sorry folks, this is the last performance, too bad we have to miss the real show! And yes, I had tickets for London but we'll never see this:
Official press release by The Jackson Estate:
Limited Edition 2-Disc set featuring the music that inspired MICHAEL JACKSON'S THIS IS IT, a deluxe 36-page booklet and souvenir movie poster.
Disc one features the original album masters of some of Michael's biggest hits arranged in the same sequence as they appear in the film. The disc ends with two versions of the never-released "This Is It." This song is featured in the film's closing sequence and includes backing vocals by Michael's brothers, the Jacksons.
Disc two offers previously unreleased versions of some of the artist's classic tracks. This disc also features a touching spoken word poem from Michael Jackson entitled "Planet Earth" that has never been heard before.
The package includes a 36-page, commemorative booklet featuring exclusive photos of Michael from his last rehearsal along with an 11x17 movie poster printed in support of the film launch.
Just got these pics in my mailbox! N-Joy!
And here's the long awaited track: 'This Is It" And yes I got my tickets and I'm gonna watch the movie this week!
We went to see it and we loved it! Very touching to see his last live performance ever, but absolutely worth it. If you can't get tickets for the big screen then buy the DVD when it will be released. It's a superb tribute and the people behind this movie have absolutely done a wonderful job! ShowBIZZ or not! Don't miss THIS (IS IT)!
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