They recently announced that Michael Jackson's "This Is It!" rehearsal and preparation footage will be released in theaters on October 30th.
Michael Jackson's "This Is It," to be Presented In Theaters Around The World | The Official Michael Jackson Site
One part of this press release really struck me...and that was from Kenny Ortega.
Said Kenny Ortega, director of and Jackson’s creative partner on the This Is It concert, “The world will see what our team was so fortunate to experience, which was the full commitment, passion and creativity that Michael put into this project. He was the architect of This Is It, and we were his builders. The footage that was captured from the early stages of the production to our technical rehearsals at the STAPLES Center in L.A. will show Michael as he truly was, creatively involved with every aspect of the production, from the staging and choreography, to the music, lighting, production design and conception of the original short films and video backdrops. It will also show Michael as one of the greatest entertainers in the world and one of the industry's most creative minds. This Is It was Michael’s last theatrical work and although it was still a work in progress, I think the footage will show that the process was something that Michael deeply enjoyed and that it was clear that he was on his way to another theatrical triumph.”
I'm personally excited to see the film, as I truly want the world to see what a great artist he truly was...and remember the reasons we loved him...before all the crap. I thought, honestly, that this was going to be the comeback for him. And, apparently, it is and was...
Right now, Michael Jackson is absolutely huge. His albums are at the top of the chart's, and in the past month since his death, books about him are #1, his songs are #1, merchandise for him has skyrocketed, and now he'll probably have a #1 movie blockbuster. In a VERY short time, his estate accrued over $60 million dollars of income! That is absolutely huge, and more than doubled Elvis' record breaking pull last year. As all artists go, he's worth more in death than in life.
You know...as sad as it all is, a part of me thinks that really, this is how it should be. In a way, it seems so grand and poignant...like Michael timed his death perfectly. As in, he didn't want to be remembered as an old, aged man in a wheelchair, but yet as a tragic figure in a grand Shakesperean sonnet. It just all seems to coincidental...biggest comeback of his career, his life coming back on track...coming full circle again and now he truly is the biggest performer on the planet. It's like it was all a grand stage. Michael took the biggest exit to the biggest applause one could receive. Literally, millions of people grieved and are grieving for him.
Man...it just blows my mind how deep it really all feels...like there's something else at work in the cosmos just lining things up. Tragic, but very, very epic.
RIP Mike.
