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This might be it for those reports of a feature film adaptation of Michael Jackson's "Thriller," boys and girls, as the proposed director himself says that talk of the movie is premature at best.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, "High School Musical" and "This Is It" director Kenny Ortega said that he hasn't given the reported "Thriller" adaptation too much thought just yet. Indeed, the very fact that the project has been mentioned publicly is a bit early, according to Ortega.

"It got put out there before I've even really had a chance to think about it too much," he said. "It’s still in very, very early stages of development." Read more...

Tags kenny ortega, michael jackson, Thriller

Will the greatest music video of all time make for one of the greatest movies of all time? We may soon find out. According to Deadline, "This Is It" and "High School Musical" director Kenny Ortega is looking to direct a film based on Michael Jackson's famous music video "Thriller."

Several studios including Fox 2000, Mandate/Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment are looking to pick up the project, which is being budgeted at around $50 million, but further negotiations are waiting on a deal to be completed with Jackson's estate.

The script will be written by "The Hangover"'s Jeremy Garelick (interesting choice), and is said to follow the basic folklore of the music video "involving Vincent Price and the town he grew up in." It's also unclear whether the film will be a musical, though Ortega's involvement would seem to suggest that this is indeed the case. Read more...

Tags justin timberlake, kenny ortega, michael jackson, This Is It, Thriller

FROM MTV.COM: The crew that worked with Michael Jackson while he prepared for his 50-show This Is It concert run in London had no idea about the unfortunate events that were to come; in fact, many of the people involved felt that the final rehearsals were incredible and a sign of what was to come from the King of Pop.

"Michael stood out in front of the stage with me and looked at the rehearsal and said, 'This is the dream. This is the dream, good Kenny. You did it,' " director Kenny Ortega told MTV News. "I think there was this feeling in the room, in the air — we all could feel like you were on the plane, you were packed. We were going. You could see London; you could smell it."

'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Crew On His Last Days

Tags kenny ortega, michael jackson, Michael Jackson's This Is It, Video

The festivities surrounding the world premiere of "Michael Jackson's This Is It" may be over, but that doesn't mean you can't still enjoy the sights and sounds. Fresh from the red carpet, MTV is happy to bring you an image gallery chock full of stars, including "High School Musical" star Ashley Tisdale, Jermaine Jackson, brother of Michael, and "This Is It" director Kenny Ortega.

In the pic below you can see "American Idol" sensation Adam Lambert escorting pop star Katy Perry into the screening. Click right there to be whisked off to our red carpet flipbook gallery.

Tags kenny ortega, Michael Jackson's This Is It

"Michael Jackson's This Is It" isn't out until October 28. That's not too far away, relatively speaking, but considering how high the anticipation is running for this release it probably seems like an eternity to some of you.

In case you haven't been paying attention, "This Is It" is a distillation of the hours upon hours of rehearsal footage of Jackson preparing for his residency at London's O2 Arena, a gig he was preparing for when he passed away over the summer. Following some rights jockeying, "High School Musical" director Kenny Ortega was handed the footage to craft into a documentary, which he did in record time. If the waiting has become unbearable, you can get a fix with the brief clip below, a portion of a rehearsal performance of "The Way You Make Me Feel."

Tags kenny ortega, michael jackson, Michael Jackson's This Is It, Video

A week from next Wednesday, "Michael Jackson's This Is It" hits theaters. The pop star passed away suddenly over the summer while in the midst of preparing for a lengthy residency at London's O2 Arena. A few months later, Sony picked up the rights to the amassed hours of rehearsal footage and passed them off to "High School Musical" director Kenny Ortega to craft into a behind-the-scenes documentary/final look at the beloved pop star.

As the release date draws nearer, fans everywhere are gearing up for one last dance from Jackson. Even celebrities are getting excited, and they're talking to MTV about it! In the video below, you can hear Common's thoughts on the movie and Jackson's legacy.

Tags kenny ortega, Michael Jackson's This Is It

It's always weird for me to hear Michael Jackson sing "Human Nature." My first exposure to the song was Miles Davis, who incorporated the "Thriller" track into his sets in the 1980s. Miles' trumpet certainly sang in its own way, but hearing Jackson belt out actual vocals on top of that melody is strangely jarring.

In this clip from "Michael Jackson's This Is It," watch as the pop star breaks into an initially rough, exploratory rendition of the tune. As the band comes in, the performance takes shape until the last few seconds, when the scene cuts to what looks like a dress rehearsal. I have to say, the more I see of director Kenny Ortega's "This Is It," the more I like.

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Tags kenny ortega, michael jackson, Michael Jackson's This Is It, Video

There are catchier headlines, and more descriptive ones. The one up there is dead-on accurate. The trailer for "Michael Jackson's This Is It" sells what looks to be a fantastic music documentary. From the look of things, director Kenny Ortega -- who is no stranger to musical spectacle following his work on the three "High School Musical" movies -- really made the most of the footage he had to work with.

For those who don't know, "Michael Jackson's This Is It" is a documentary pieced together using footage from rehearsals for the fallen pop star's planned residency at London's O2 Arena. Jackson passed away before those shows happened of course, but the preparations were far enough along that Ortega had plenty of material to work with. The evidence is all down there in the trailer...

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Tags high school musical, kenny ortega, michael jackson, Michael Jackson's This Is It, Video

FROM MTV.COM: Sony Pictures is finalizing a deal to acquire rehearsal footage from Michael Jackson's This Is It concert run, with hopes of releasing it in theaters just in time for Halloween, according to Variety.

Sony is reportedly paying close to $60 million for the 80 hours of rehearsal footage shot at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The footage is currently owned by AEG Entertainment, who were promoting Jackson's run of 50 shows at London's O2 Arena.

"High School Musical" director Kenny Ortega, who shot the rehearsal footage, will reportedly also sort through it to assemble the film, which Sony plans on having in theaters on October 30. Variety claims the film will feature "at least three" videos, including an alternative version of "Thriller," which was intended to be an interstitial video during Jackson's O2 shows.

Continue reading Michael Jackson Film To Hit Theaters This Halloween

Tags high school musical, kenny ortega, michael jackson, sony

With Zac Efron gone and Chace Crawford confirmed to fill Kevin Bacon's dancing shoes in the coming remake of "Footloose," there have been several rumors about which young Hollywood starlet might play Ariel Moore, the part originally played by Lori Singer in 1984.

It seems like every young woman in Hollywood has had her name tossed in the "Footloose" ring, and who could blame them for wanting to star alongside Chace in the Kenny Ortega-directed flick? Read more...

Tags amanda bynes, chace crawford, footloose, hayden panettiere, julianna hough, kenny ortega, miley cyrus