It's been months now since the untimely passing of Michael Jackson. Yet somehow, he remains very much a part of the public consciousness. Part of that is the documentary, "Michael Jackson's This Is It," which collects the pop legend's final rehearsal footage. Not only did the release trigger the flood of Jackson memorializing anew, the doc itself notably doesn't ever explicitly say that he's left us.
What's interesting about all of the personal remembrances to have surface is the picture that they paint. Jackson was famously reclusive in his later years, trailed by controversy and somehow standing apart from the cult of celebrity, even as he sat at its pinnacle. Only through the recent doc and the memories of his family and friends are we now getting a picture of the man behind all of that mystery. Brett Ratner is one of those people Jackson was close with, and he's been sharing generously on Twitter for some time. The latest, today's Daily TwitPic shows us the "Rush Hour" director with Michael, Chris Tucker and Jackson friend Al Malnik in Acapulco for Ratner's birthday. Read more...
FROM MTV.COM: The worldwide thirst for all things Michael Jackson continues unabated. So far, the "This Is It" documentary chronicling the late pop star's final rehearsals for a comeback tour that never was has raked in more than $200 million across the globe.
Reuters reports that the film has crossed the $200 million threshold after just two weeks in theaters, with overseas grosses vastly outstripping U.S. totals. Sony Pictures Entertainment said the movie had brought in $61 million in North America so far and more than $140 million internationally, with Japan among those leading the way at $27.2 million, followed by the U.K. — where Jackson was preparing to launch the "This Is It" 50-show run at London's O2 Arena — at $14.3 million.
Continue reading 'Michael Jackson's: This Is It' Passes $200 Million Worldwide
FROM MTV.COM: As expected, "Michael Jackson's This Is It" was the box-office champion over the Halloween weekend, taking in an estimated $21.3 million in the United States. The bigger news was that the documentary chronicling the King of Pop's final rehearsals for his planned 50-show comeback residency in London banked more than $101 million worldwide.
The totals easily made "This Is It" the #1 movie in America, beating out the still-strong thriller "Paranormal Activity," which was second with $16.5 million. Fans who didn't wait in line or rush out to see "This Is It" during its first few days in theaters also got a reprieve, as Sony Pictures — the studio that paid $60 million for the rights to release the film — announced that the planned two-week-only engagement will now be extended through Thanksgiving.
Continue reading 'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Banks $100 Million Around The Globe
FROM MTV.COM: In life, Michael Jackson set records, sold out shows and entertained millions. Now he may be gone, but judging by the latest numbers from the smash documentary "Michael Jackson's This Is It," the iconic entertainer is continuing to astound.
Following on the heels of Tuesday night's $2.2 million haul at a series of midnight showings, "This Is It" took in another $7.4 million in its first full day of release — and another $12.7 million overseas. Overall, it gives the film a worldwide total of $20.1 million — impressive numbers for a midweek release, not to mention a documentary.
Continue reading 'Michael Jackson's This Is It' Could Break More Box-Office Records
Michael Jackson has dominated my life for the past few months. Even to begin to count the number of stories I've written about the King of Pop since his death in June would make my brain go gooey. I suspect I'm not alone in the brain-gooeyness department when it comes to MJ overexposure. My love of his music, and my respect for the man himself, has been colored and contextualized by the past months, and I really wasn't sure how I would feel as I headed last night to the New York premiere of "Michael Jackson's This Is It."
Again, I suspect I'm not alone when it comes to a diffuse sort of trepidation about the documentary. Do I still care? Can I still listen to his music? Is this whole production simply an exercise in soul-sucking morbidity? After sitting through the 105 minute film, I can report that I certainly still care, that I can listen to his music and that for all the doc's flaws – there are many – it's a seriously important piece of pop culture history. Most importantly, it's a lot of fun. Read more...
FROM HOLLYWOOD CRUSH: With today marking the release of the highly anticipated Michael Jackson movie “This Is It,” we here at Hollywood Crush wanted to find a way to help you honor the music legend. Halloween is just three days away, so we thought we would extend our Dress Like A Movie Star Week to pay tribute to (respectfully, of course) the always-groundbreaking MJ. While you could always do a group costume inspired by the spooky fun undead from the classic “Thriller” video, we also wanted to help you capture some of Jackson’s other iconic looks.
There’s no one at a party who won’t instantly recognize (and scream for) you dressed to the nines as MJ from the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards (see a photo after the jump). The great thing about these costumes? They’re unisex, so ladies and gents, it’s time to step up and give the King of Pop some props this Halloween.
Continue reading This Is It: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Costume For Halloween
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
We've been crowing about it for weeks now, but the main event has finally arrived. "Michael Jackson's This Is It" had its world premiere and MTV was right there to give you the blow-by-blow straight from the red carpet. Our on the spot live blog coverage was supplemented by a series of in-depth write-ups about the movie, so put on your reading glasses and get ready to start clicking.
The first thing to check out is Jocelyn Vena's report from the carpet, with quotes from "American Idol" stars Adam Lambert and David Cook on the enduring legacy of Michael Jackson. "Michael wasn't afraid of just being himself," Lambert said. "Michael didn't conform to one style of music. He did his own thing. That's the thing that makes me tick." Read more...
I hope you enjoyed our red carpet live blog from the premiere of "Michael Jackson's This Is It." Special thanks to MTV correspondent Ryan Downey for keeping us all in the loop on celebrity arrivals.
Since many must wait until tomorrow and beyond for a peek at @MTVMoviesBlog.
This is it, folks. The world premiere of "Michael Jackson's This Is It" has arrived. MTV correspondent Ryan Downey is situated in a prime position on the red carpet to greet celebrity guests while keeping us all tuned in on the happenings. Tune in to MTV at 8:30pm EST to check out the premiere special, but keep it locked here until then for the latest updates from the trenches. So without further ado, take it away Ryan!
Note: All times are listed in PST
3:28pm The carpet is quiet save for the fans who scream when news cameras point remotely near their faces.
3:40pm A guy is passing out sequined gloves to the fans in the bleachers.
3:44pm The "carpet" is actually interconnected red metal rectangles interspersed with white, light up rectangles a la the "Billy Jean" video! I've seen a lot of red carpets and THIS is cool, folks. I wish I had looked down 30 minutes ago. Read more...
