MJ’s ‘This Is It’ movie to premier today

The premiere of Michael Jackson’s movie, ‘This Is It’, is set to be a big event at cinemas worldwide today, October 28. The movie will chronicle the late King of Pop’s last moments on earth, edited from 80 hours of video footage recorded for the biggest show that never was. Jackson died before he could grace the O2 Arena in London for his comeback concerts dubbed ‘This Is It’ that had already sold out tickets. Film director Kenny Ortega said, ‘As we began assembling the footage for the motion picture, we realized we captured something extraordinary, unique and very special. It’s a very private and exclusive look into a creative genius’s world. For the first time ever, fans will see Michael as they have never seen him before – this great artiste at work. It is raw, emotional, moving and powerful.” According to LA Live, the set list of the extraordinary shows planned for Jackson’s key songs was a compendium of full performances of 11 of his greatest hits: Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, Beat It, Billie Jean, Man In The Mirror, We Are The World, Black Or White, Heal The World, Dirty Diana, Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’, along with snippets from other hits such as Smooth Criminal and a Jackson Five tribute medley. 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 he prepared the series of fifty concerts. The film will offer Jackson’s fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer, his career, and how the stage spectacular would have been. Michael Jackson’s attorney John Branca said, “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. The 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. The movie premier comes hot on the heels of the first posthumous Michael Jackson single, ‘This Is It’, which debuted online at midnight on October 12, with some instantly speculating that the heartstring-tugging song could become one of the late pop star’s best-selling singles of all time. According to MTV, the spare, mid-tempo love ballad, which was reportedly recorded during the sessions for his 1991 ‘Dangerous’ album, finds Jackson in classic voice, singing in his clear falsetto along to finger snapping, a subtle jazzy piano and swelling strings, as his brothers, the Jacksons, provide ethereal backing vocals. Ends

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MJ’s ‘This Is It’ movie to premier today