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"This Is It" Movie "This Is It" Dancers To Tour Europe. 01-04-'10 The dancers Michael Jackson handpicked for his series of concert dates in London last year are embarking on their own King of Pop tribute tour of Europe. The dancers, including Mekia Cox, Tyne Hecklein and Nick Bass, will join choreographer Travis Payne on the Still the King club tour, which begins in London on 5 May (2010).
All those taking part in the dates were featured in the This Is It concert film. The dancers were preparing for a 50-date run of shows at London's O2 Ar ena last summer when Michael Jackson suddenly passed away. Source: PR Newswire / Billie Jean "This Is It” Available In Belgium On DVD and Blu Ray. 01-03-'10 Michael Jackson's This Is It offers Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind the scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold?out concerts that would have taken place summer 2010 in London O2 Arena.
Michael Jackson's This Is It (1 Disc) (DVD) European release only: The Unfinished Rehearsals feature Series number: DXS 69320/1 Michael Jackson's This Is It (2 DVD's) DVD Special Features Disc One: Disc Two: Series number: DXS 69320
EXTRA’S OP BLU-RAY DISC EXCLUSIEF OP BLU-RAY DISC Series number: BXS 69320 Michael Jackson - This Is It (Blu-ray) (Steel Book Collector's Edition) EXTRA’S OP BLU-RAY DISC EXCLUSIEF OP BLU-RAY DISC Series number: BXS 69320 Click here to order. Source: Billie Jean "This Is It" DVD / Blu Ray Special Features. 26-02-'10 EXTRA’S OP DVD SINGLE DISC EXTRA’S OP DVD STD-2 National Disc Special Features EXTRA’S OP BLU-RAY DISC EXCLUSIEF OP BLU-RAY DISC Source: Billie Jean 'This Is It' DVD Release Event In London. 18-02-'10 The launch and signing session is at HMV's flagship store at 150 Oxford Street on February 21. The event kicks off at 10pm with dancers performing the routines from the This Is It show. Between 11pm and midnight, Kenny Ortega, Travis Payne and the This Is It dancers will meet fans and sign copies of the DVD and Blu-ray which are officially released on Monday, February 22. 'This Is It' was a planned series of 50 concerts by Michael Jackson to be held at The O2 arena in London. They were scheduled to begin in July 2009 and continue through March 2010. Source: Coventry Telegraph / Billie Jean 'This Is It' On Samsung External Hard Drive. 08-02-'10 Samsung unveiled its S2 portable external hard drive back in September of 2009. The drive has been around for a while now and Samsung has now announced a new special edition version of the S2 HDD. The special edition version of the S2 has 500GB of storage space and will ship pre-loaded with Michael Jackson’s THIS IS IT film. The launch of the special edition HDD is timed with the launch of the Jackson film and will hit stores in Europe on February 22, 2010.
Along with the pre-loaded film, the drive will also ship with software for data backups. The software includes Samsung Auto Backup allowing automatic scheduled backups or real-time backups. The drive will also ship with SecretZone software for encryption content on the drive. Pricing and availability outside Europe is unknown at this time. Source: Billie Jean 'This Is It' Dominates Sales, Blu-Ray Charts. 04-02-'10
"This Is It," the concert film about the comeback tour that never happened, shot to No. 1 on the national home video sales charts its first week in stores, selling through to consumers an estimated 1.2 million copies, according to Home Media Magazine market research. That's believed to be a record for first-week sales of a music film. The Sony Pictures Home Entertainment release also was the No. 1 Blu-ray Disc seller for the week ending Jan. 31, according to Nielsen VideoScan research. Of the film's total disc sales, 21% were on Blu-ray Disc. "This Is It" was released simultaneously in Japan and, according to Sony, beat expectations there as well. Sony Pictures mounted a huge publicity campaign in support of the release, including a YouTube video of Filipino prisoners dancing to two Jackson tunes from the film that generated more than 3 million hits. The clip included a card at the end promoting the DVD/Blu-ray Disc release of the film. "This Is It" debuted at No. 5 on the rental chart, and "Saw VI" bowed at No. 6. Source: MJFC / hollywoodreporter.com / Billie Jean 'This Is It' DVD Breaks Records In Japan. 01-02-'10 DVD's and Blu-ray discs of the Michael Jackson documentary "This Is It" racked up $18 million in sales on the title's first day of release in Japan -- a new record, according to the Oricon rating service. DVD's accounted for $11.3 million and Blu-ray discs $6.7 million on Jan. 26. This smashes the previous DVD opening-day record of $6.2 million held by the Hayao Miyazaki toon "Ponyo," which was the bestselling DVD of 2009.
Sony Pictures Entertainment has announced that "This Is It" will not be available for rental on discs. But documentary will be run on pay TV services. The documentary earned $58 million in theatrical release in Japan -- about 25% of its worldwide box office take. Source: MJFC / Variety / Billie Jean Michael Jackson’s This Is It’ Released On DVD. 26-01-'10 Three months after it was released in movie theaters, Michael Jackson’s final project 'This Is It' is now available in stores on DVD and Blue Ray. To celebrate the occasion, director Kenny Ortega and choreographer Travis Payne attended a Midnight Madness DVD release celebration at a local Best Buy store in NYC, NY last night. A few super fans came out for the occasion, each doing their best Michael Jackson impersonation. The Blu-ray release also includes an exclusive 24 page photo booklet which is a unique archive of photographs taken during the final rehearsals. Source: Billie Jean Emotional Editing Experience On 'This Is It'. 19-01-'10 The Michael Jackson docu "This Is It" is a prime example of a film created mainly in the editing suite -- a fact validated by the nod two of its cutters received last week from the Motion Picture Editors Guild for best edited feature documentary. Helmer Kenny Ortega and his team not only overcame major technical obstacles to put together a cohesive film; they also had to fight grief and fatigue. When Jackson died on June 25, less than three weeks before the first of his 50 scheduled "This Is It" comeback concerts, Ortega knew he was in for "a rough emotional journey." As director of the concerts, he had spent weeks in rehearsals with Jackson. After the performer's death, promoter AEG Live sold the footage from those sessions to Sony for $60 million, and Sony hired Ortega to transform it into a feature film. The challenges were daunting. The footage had been shot only as reference for shaping the concerts, not for public exhibition. "We really didn't have a lot of film of Michael," Ortega says. "We had footage from cellphones, the Red camera, 35mm… we weren't lighting. In audio, sometimes the sound in the camera was all we had." Nevertheless, Ortega and his team of editors put together a film that won praise from critics and grossed $256 million worldwide. The editorial process was crucial," says Ortega. Working at AEG, editors Don Brochu, Brandon Key and Tim Patterson took only a week to produce five hours of rough cuts that Ortega was happy with. The three cutters then took their work to the Sony lot, where they were joined by a fourth, Kevin Stitt. We had a little factory going," says Ortega. "I could jog from one building to the next, visit with each editor. I'd send in (choreographer) Travis Payne and (composer) Michael Bearden when there were questions about the dancing or music." The team worked at four Avid edit bays seven days a week from the end of July until three weeks before the film's October 28 release. It wasn't easy. "People would sometimes hit a wall and needed a break from the emotion of it all," says Ortega, "but knowing we had a limited amount of time for post, we really focused on the end result: telling the story of what might have been." Source: Variety / Billie Jean 'This Is It' DVD Behind The Scenes Clips. 15-01-'10 Earlier this week, Sony Pictures announced the Worldwide Release Date Schedule for Michael Jackson's This Is It on DVD, Blu-Ray and PSP. Check out some of the video extras which will be released on the Blu-Ray below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jihKtiG7B4U&feature=player_embedded# http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO-SEVqBHNo&feature=player_embedded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1QJzxfM6Ik&feature=player_embedded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QboAYu0BUU&feature=player_embedded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7-Lvk6OV7Q&feature=player_embedded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUdyBHqaHLQ&feature=player_embedded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AWDTE1TsSo&feature=player_embedded Source: Sony Pictures / Billie Jean Worldwide 'This Is It' DVD Release Dates. 14-01-'10 Worldwide release dates are now available for Michael Jackson's This Is It on DVD and Blu-ray® U.S. fans can pre-order the DVD and Blu-ray® with movie poster Here.
Source: michaeljackson.com / Billie Jean MJ's Thriller Costume From “This Is It” Tour. 11-01-'10 This Is It was a planned series of fifty concerts by Michael Jackson to be held at The O2 arena in London. They were scheduled to begin in July 2009 and continue through March 2010. Less than three weeks before the first concert date, and with all concerts sold out, Jackson died after suffering cardiac arrest. During CES 2010, Sony had a special glass booth that showed off Michael Jackson’s Thriller Costume (designed by Zaldy) for the “This Is It” Tour. It also had a shirt worn by Michael Jackson in rehearsals, courtesy of the Michael Jackson Estate.
Source: sonyinsider.com / Billie Jean 'This Is It' To Be Released On USB Flash Drive. 09-01-'09 Kingston Digital announced an agreement with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to deliver Michael Jackson's THIS IS IT on a special Kingston Data Traveler USB flash drive. Timed to the DVD and Blu-ray Disc release of Michael Jackson's THIS IS IT, the limited edition drive will be available on http://www.kingston.com/shop and at major U.S. retailers on 26 January, 2010. The film can be backed up on up to three PCs and is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems. Windows Media Player is required for viewing.
"Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is dedicated to exploring new distribution channels, and we are pleased to work together with Kingston on a program that introduces consumers to Flash memory as a vehicle for enjoying their favorite movies on devices like net books and PCs," said Sony Pictures Home Entertainment senior vice president digital distribution Joe Arancio. "We are humbled and excited to present this movie starring Michael Jackson, the greatest entertainer of all time, on Kingston Flash memory," said Kingston vice president consumer markets group Rick Webb. "Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is a leader in providing quality content and this collaboration into digital media adds unique value to our memory offerings. This Data Traveler USB flash drive is destined to be a collector's item." Source: MJFC / businessofcinema.com / Billie Jean “This Is It” Michael Jackson PS3 Bundle. 06-01-'10 Sony Computer Entertainment Japan (SCEJ), a division of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. responsible for business operation in Japan, today announced that a “PlayStation®3 ‘Michael Jackson’s THIS IS IT’ Special Pack” will become available in Japan on January 27, 2010, concurrently with the release of Michael Jackson’s THIS IS IT on Blu-ray™/DVD discs. This special bundle pack, produced in collaboration with Sony Pictures Entertainment, will include the PlayStation®3 (PS3®) computer entertainment system with 120GB Hard Disk Drive and Michael Jackson’s THIS IS IT on Blu-ray Disc and will be a limited offer at a recommended retail price of 33,500 yen (including tax).
Michael Jackson’s THIS IS IT is a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his final concerts that were to be held in London from summer of 2009 to 2010. This blockbuster film was drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scene footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show.The disc also includes Blu-ray Disc exclusive vignettes of Thriller and Smooth Criminal which were re-taken specifically for the concert as well as a special wallpaper for the PS3 system.
Source: Gamespy.com / Billie Jean Watch The Trailer For The 'This Is It' DVD. 18-12-'09 Taking the Stage on Blu-ray™ and DVD on 22nd February 2010, With Over 90 Minutes of Never-Before-Seen Bonus Features Including Two Making-of Documentaries, Costume Featurette and Blu-ray Exclusives Including All-New “Smooth Criminal” and “Thriller” Vignettes as well as movieIQ! On January 26, 2010 in North America and on February 22 in the UK and Europe, Michael Jackson's 'This Is It' will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray. Watch the trailer here below.
Source: Billie Jean UK & European Release Of 'This Is It' on DVD. 13-12-'09 Taking the Stage on Blu-ray™ and DVD on 22nd February 2010, With Over 90 Minutes of Never-Before-Seen Bonus Features Including Two Making-of Documentaries, Costume Featurette and Blu-ray Exclusives Including All-New “Smooth Criminal” and “Thriller” Vignettes as well as movieIQ! Sony Pictures Home Entertainment offers music lovers a backstage pass to witness the King of Pop plan and create what would have been his electrifying and triumphant return to the stage when MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT debuts on Blu-ray, Single Disc and Two-Disc Special Edition DVD on 22nd February 2010. After breaking box office records around the world, MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT will dazzle on Blu-ray and DVD. Directed by Kenny Ortega, the Blu-ray and DVD releases will allow fans to go beyond the theatrical experience of the film with the two documentaries “Staging The Return: Beyond The Show” and “Staging The Return: The Adventure Begins,” in which Michael Jackson is shown developing, creating and rehearsing for his sold-out “This Is It” tour. Also available are a series of illuminating featurettes, including “The Gloved One,” a costume themed featurette; “Memories of Michael,” in which cast and crew pay moving tribute to the legacy of Michael Jackson; “Auditions: Searching for the World’s Best Dancers,” spotlighting the search for the show’s incredibly talented backup dancers; and the film’s Theatrical Trailer. Also included exclusively on the European release is the never-before seen additional featurette ‘The Unfinished Rehearsals’ in which Kenny Ortega and Production Designer Michael Cotton reveal two show-stopping concepts for This Is It which never made it to the big screen. Additional features exclusive to the Blu-ray include the complete and uncut versions of “Smooth Criminal” and “Thriller,” two all-new vignettes seen briefly in the film, along with a special “Making-of Smooth Criminal” featurette. In “Smooth Criminal,” sit back and marvel as Michael Jackson seamlessly shares the screen with some of the greatest movie stars of all-time in a new black and white vignette that celebrates Michael’s love of ‘Old Hollywood.’ Then, in the all-new “Thriller” vignette, watch in awe as Michael brings one of his most popular songs to a monstrous second life in a thrilling new video featuring a whole new cast of zombies, ghosts and ghouls igniting awareness with all-new and signature Jackson dance moves. Exclusive to the Blu-ray edition of MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT are even more must-have bonus features Jackson fans will love, including the BD-Live™ enabled movieIQ, which lets viewers add their favourite songs from the film to an emailable “This is It” playlist. With movieIQ, viewers can also access live trivia information about the movie’s cast, crew, music and production – all while watching the movie! Also included is a Photo Gallery with 75 insider photos from the rehearsals as well as an additional featurette “Dancing Machine” in which Choreographer Travis Payne discusses collaborating with dancing legend Michael Jackson on the choreography for his This Is It tour. The Blu-ray release also includes an exclusive 24 page photo booklet which is a unique archive of photographs taken during the final rehearsals.
Synopsis MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT offers Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London’s O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from April through June, 2009, the film is drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, and genius as he creates and perfects his final show. MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT was directed by Kenny Ortega (High School Musical, Newsies). It was produced by Randy Phillips, Kenny Ortega and Paul Gongaware, with John McClain and John Branca serving as executive producers. It was distributed by Columbia Pictures in association with The Michael Jackson Company and AEG Live. It has a run time of approximately 111 minutes and has been rated PG for some suggestive choreography and scary images. Single Disc DVD Bonus Material • “Staging the Return: The Adventure Begins” Making-of Documentary. This in-depth documentary reveals Michael Jackson’s unique, groundbreaking vision for his ambitious return to the stage, with director Kenny Ortega and the entire crew from This Is It. • “Staging the Return: Beyond the Show” Making-of Documentary. Director Kenny Ortega and the crew of This Is It discuss Michael Jackson’s final rehearsals, and the purpose behind creating the concert film. • “The Gloved One” Costumes Featurette. Costume Designer Zaldy reveals the elaborate new costumes created for Michael Jackson to wear on the This Is It tour. • “Memories of Michael” Featurette. Kenny Ortega and the crew of This Is It share personal stories about working with Michael Jackson, and how they will remember their friend. • “Auditions: Searching for the World’s Best Dancers” Featurette. A look at the high-stakes audition process, which began with over 5,000 applicants and ended with the selection of 11 exceptionally talented dancers. • “The Unfinished Rehearsals” Featurette. Kenny Ortega and Production Designer Michael Cotten reveal two show-stopping concepts for This Is It which never made it to the big screen. • Theatrical Trailer Two-Disc Special Edition DVD Bonus Material Disc One • “Staging the Return: The Adventure Begins” Making-of Documentary. This in-depth documentary reveals Michael Jackson’s unique, groundbreaking vision for his ambitious return to the stage, with director Kenny Ortega and the entire crew from This Is It. • “Staging the Return: Beyond the Show” Making-of Documentary. Director Kenny Ortega and the crew of This Is It discuss Michael Jackson’s final rehearsals, and the purpose behind creating the concert film. • “The Gloved One” Costumes Featurette. Costume Designer Zaldy reveals the elaborate new costumes created for Michael Jackson to wear on the This Is It tour. • “Memories of Michael” Featurette. Kenny Ortega and the crew of This Is It share personal stories about working with Michael Jackson, and how they will remember their friend. • “Auditions: Searching for the World’s Best Dancers” Featurette. A look at the high-stakes audition process, which began with over 5,000 applicants and ended with the selection of 11 exceptionally talented dancers. • “The Unfinished Rehearsals” Featurette. Kenny Ortega and Production Designer Michael Cotton reveal two show-stopping concepts for This Is It which never made it to the big screen. • Theatrical Trailer Disc Two • 3 Featurettes: • Meet the Dancers. Meet each of the 11 dancers chosen among thousands to dance with Michael Jackson on his This Is It tour. • Meet the Band. Go behind the scenes with the band members chosen to perform on the This Is It tour with Michael Jackson • Meet the Vocalists. Go behind the scenes with the vocalists selected to sing with Michael Jackson on the This Is It Tour Single-Disc Blu-ray Bonus Material • “Staging the Return: The Adventure Begins” Making-of Documentary. This in-depth documentary reveals Michael Jackson’s unique, groundbreaking vision for his ambitious return to the stage, with director Kenny Ortega and the entire crew from This Is It. • “Staging the Return: Beyond the Show” Making-of Documentary. Director Kenny Ortega and the crew of This Is It discuss Michael Jackson’s final rehearsals, and the purpose behind creating the concert film. • “The Gloved One” Costumes Featurette. Costume Designer Zaldy reveals the elaborate new costumes created for Michael Jackson to wear on the This Is It tour. • “Memories of Michael” Featurette. Kenny Ortega and the crew of This Is It share personal stories about working with Michael Jackson, and how they will remember their friend. • “Auditions: Searching for the World’s Best Dancers” Featurette. A look at the high-stakes audition process, which began with over 5,000 applicants and ended with the selection of 11 exceptionally talented dancers. • Meet the Dancers. Meet each of the 11 dancers chosen among thousands to dance with Michael Jackson on his This Is It tour. • Meet the Band. Go behind the scenes with the band members chosen to perform on the This Is It tour with Michael Jackson • Meet the Vocalists. Go behind the scenes with the vocalists selected to sing with Michael Jackson on the This Is It Tour • “Dancing Machine’ featurette. Choreographer Travis Payne discusses collaborating with dancing legend Michael Jackson on the choreography for his This Is It tour. • “The Unfinished Rehearsals” featurette. Kenny Ortega and Production Designer Michael Cotton reveal two show-stopping concepts for This Is It which never made it to the big screen. • Photo Gallery with 75 insider photos from the rehearsals. • Theatrical Trailer • BD Exclusive: “Smooth Criminal” Vignette. The full-length vignette starring Michael Jackson which was to be shown before the performance of “Smooth Criminal” at the This Is It concert. • BD Exclusive: “Making ‘Smooth Criminal’” Featurette. An in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the groundbreaking production of the new “Smooth Criminal” film created for This Is It. • BD Exclusive: “Thriller” Vignette. The full-length vignette which was to be shown during the performance of “Thriller” at the This Is It concert. • BD Exclusive: movieIQ: connects you to access real-time information on the cast, music, trivia and more while watching the movie! Also includes the “This Is It” interactive playlist where you can bookmark your favourite songs featured in the film and email yourself a customized playlist! *Note: THIS IS IT will be released in North America on DVD, Blu-Ray and PSP on January 26, 2010. Source: MJFC / MJ-Upbeat / Sony Pictures Entertainment / Billie Jean 'This Is It' DVD - 'Billie Jean' Featurette Clip. 04-12-'09 Michael Jackson's This Is It! will find its way into our hearts and homes on DVD and Blu-ray this January 26th, 2010. If you can't wait that long to experience this once in a lifetime film, we have a new featurette just for you. This new video takes an in-depth look at Michael's performance of Billie Jean in the film. You can check it out in the clip Here. Source: MJFC / movieweb.com / Billie Jean 'This Is It' DVD - Behind The Scenes Clip. 03-12-'09 Michael Jackson fans can now watch an exclusive behind the scenes clip from the upcoming DVD release of 'This Is It.' Click Here to watch the 6 minute video. Additionally, those fans who pre-order 'This Is It' on iTunes before December 22, 2009 will get the exclusive The Musical Experience featurette emailed to them on Christmas Day!
Source: MJFC / Amazon / Twitter / Billie Jean Michael Jackson: “This Is It” Hits $240 Mil Worldwide. 01-12-'09 The cruel irony of Michael Jackson’s death is reflected in the box office. The movie about Jackson’s rehearsals for shows that never took place, “This Is It,” hit $240 million worldwide this weekend. That gives Jackson the biggest concert film and documentary ever. Jackson’s kids will wind up very wealthy from this film thanks to his executors. Remember, Sony paid a $60 million advance. The footage from all those rehearsals has become a bonanza. And this column told you first that AEG Live had 100 hours of it. That was back on June 29th, four days after Michael was killed. Of course, all Jackson ever wanted was to somehow get into the film business. Back in 1991, he actually “stole” back the finished tapes for his “Invincible” album in June of that year. He held them for ransom until he got a part in Barry Sonnenfeld’s “Men in Black II.” In the end, he got his way. Sony got him the part, “Invincible” was finally released, and the following year Michael had a cameo in the movie.
Through the years, Jackson was easily taken in by anyone who promised him a film role. He was constantly accessible if an in die producer showed up with a hare-brained scheme to start a production company with Jackson’s money — or just his name, as his cash ran out. Jackson has a weird role in a little-seen DVD release called “Miss Cast Away,” written and produced by Bryan Michael Stoller. He also made a deal with Prince Abdulla of Bahrain to make movies, then reneged but kept the Prince’s $7 million advance. By the way, if you want to see one of Jackson’ s major dance influences, check out this clip from YouTube that marries “Billie Jean” to Bob Fosse’s 1974 choreography/performance from Stanley Donen’s “The Little Prince.” Add a little James Brown, and voila! you have Michael Jackson. As for “This Is It,” Sony would love to say the movie got to $250 million. That would mean leaving it in theaters through the end of the year. The DVD release is set for January 26th. Source: showbiz411.com / Billie Jean
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, having kept the release of Michael Jackson concert pic "This Is It" out of the fourth quarter to give theaters a longer window, will tie the DVD and Blu-ray discs to the Grammy Awards with a January 26 release. Positioning "This Is It" as the first big homevid title of 2010, SPHE said the DVD and Blu-ray discs will offer a fuller experience than the theatrical cut, which has already drawn more than $70 million in U.S. box office. The standard DVD ($28.96) will contain an hour of extra footage, and the Blu-ray version ($39.95) will hold an additional hour and a half of material. Exclusive to the Blu-ray version is a "Smooth Criminal" vignette that was originally intended to screen prior to Jackson's planned London concerts. There is also the featurette "Making Smooth Criminal," as well as Sony Web-enabled feature movieIQ. "We're thrilled with the date that we ended up with, where it's at an opportune time in the market," said Marc Rashba, Sony's VP of worldwide marketing. "The Grammy's follow right after the release date (on Jan. 31). There will be a lot of Grammy areas in stores, and we can play into that." Retailers are also expected to push "This Is It" pre-orders during this heavy fourth-quarter shopping period. Both standard DVD and Blu-ray editions, carrying a Dec. 24 pre-order date, include two making-of documentaries. The two formats also hold three featurettes, covering costuming, memories of Jackson and auditions of the concert dancers. To further boost the title's appeal, Sony will attach different collectible components at various retailers. "We're looking at new channels of distribution, and working with digital partners," Rashba said. Source: MJFC / Variety / Billie Jean Viacom's Cable Networks Win Rights To 'This Is It' Film. 18-11-'09 Viacom Inc. says it has won exclusive rights in the U.S. to air "Michael Jackson's This Is It" on its MTV and BET cable networks starting in 2011. The Sony Pictures film, featuring rehearsal footage from the London concerts Jackson was planning when he died in June, has already pulled in $200 million in worldwide box office returns. Viacom, led by Sumner Redstone, said Tuesday its rights to the movie last six years and cover all of the domestic cable channels in its MTV and BET networks division. Terms were not disclosed. Source: AP / Billie Jean `This Is It' Tops $200 Million Worldwide. 13-11-'09 Michael Jackson's concert movie "This Is It" has taken more than $200 million at box offices worldwide in the first two weeks of release, the studio behind the movie said on Thursday. Sony Pictures Entertainment said the movie had grossed $61 million in North America and more than $140 million internationally. Japan ($27.2 million) and the UK ($14.3 million) were particularly strong markets.
The movie is now the 22nd biggest grossing movie worldwide of 2009, according to industry tracker boxofficemojo.com "This Is It", distributed by Sony Corp-owned Columbia Pictures, was compiled from footage of Jackson rehearsing for a series of planned comeback concerts before his sudden death in June. Sony paid concert promoters AEG and Jackson's estate about $60 million for the right to make and distribute the movie. The $200 million plus gross is almost three times more than 2008's "Hannah Montana / Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour" -- a movie some box office watchers had used as a benchmark for "This Is It." The Jackson film opened on October 28 for a planned two week run but has since been extended until early December. Source: Reuters / Billie Jean 'This Is It' Crosses $100 Million Mark. 08-11-'09 As it entered its second weekend in theaters, Michael Jackson's "This Is It" has crossed the $100 million mark at international box offices. The film has grossed $144 million worldwide. That is more than double the total for 2008's blockbuster concert film "Hannah Montana / Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds," a movie that most box office watchers were using as a benchmark for "This Is It." $44 million of "TII's" take came from the United States and Canada. 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. The film, which opened on October 28 and was originally planned for a two week run, is now slated to run until early December in the United States and Canada. Source: reuters / Billie Jean Dancers from Michael Jackson's 'This It It' Visit ET. 06-11-'09 Dancers from the current No. 1 film in America, 'Michael Jackson's This Is It,' descended upon ET and opened up about working with the late King of Pop. The young men universally had nothing but praise for Michael, explaining that for them, working with the music icon was their "highest aspiration" and that it was a "beautiful moment." Dancer Daniel Celebre told ET, "Every single person that saw Michael just gave the same energy back, so the love was flying all over the place. And to see the myth, the legend, right in front of you was just ... a blessing-and-a-half."
Of watching the film, Timor Steffens said, "To be honest, my emotions were really running in my body while I was watching the movie, but I also had a lot of positivity in my body, because it's a beautiful moment that we had in life." Choreographer Travis Payne, who has been like a father figure to the group, explained, "With the release of Michael's documentary we've been able to have a bit of healing and it's helped us all, I think, to be able to cope with such a great loss." Watch our video for more and tune in to ET tonight to see the group perform on the ET stage. Source: ET / Billie Jean |
Updated: 04/01/2010 8:58 AM Billie Jean Web Radio Player Music Videos |
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Chronicling the months from April through June 2009, the film is produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at Jackson as he has never been seen before. In raw and candid detail, Michael Jackson's This Is It captures the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, creative genius and great artist at work as he creates and perfects his final show. Directed by Kenny Ortega, who was both Michael Jackson's creative partner and the director of the stage show.
Michael Jackson - This Is It (Blu-ray)
The Michael Jackson's 'This Is It' DVD Release will be launched in London on Sunday with director Kenny Ortega, choreographer Travis Payne and the dancers.
