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
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.
"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."
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.
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.
Read more...
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...
Read more...
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
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...
They can sing. They can dance. They dominate television. And come October 24th, I think it's pretty safe to say they're going to do pretty well on the big screen. Yes, "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" is only weeks away. That's "HSM3” to those of you in the know (I'm looking at all of you). So what do you want to know from this photogenic bunch? We're talking to all of them very soon--the returning favorites and the newest additions.
All you have to do is leave a comment down below and specify who exactly your question is for. Here's who we're going to be talking to: Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Oleysa Rulin, Matt Prokop, Justin Martin, Jemma McKenzie-Brown, and director Kenny Ortega.
We'll pick the best ones and deliver the responses right here. The deadline is October 8th. Now let's hear what you want to know!
