When tickets for Michael Jackson’s This Is It went on sale on Sept. 27, hundreds of shows around the globe sold out in less than 24 hours, without anyone knowing quite what it even was — a concert movie? A documentary? “It’s somewhere in between,” says Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal of the film, which consists of behind-the-scenes footage of Jackson rehearsing for his planned comeback concerts at London’s O2 arena. “It’s a movie about rehearsing for a concert that never happened. It’s heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. It gives you chills.”
Now, with the October 28th worldwide release of the movie fast approaching, the late pop star’s collaborators open up about working with Jackson during his precarious last days. At age 50 Jackson hadn’t toured in more than a decade, but while his team worried at times about his health, his imagination was as active as ever.
In fact, as the production got under way, it quickly became clear that Jackson’s creative ambitions for the concerts were beyond anything he’d ever attempted. With the budget already past $24 million, Jackson told his team he wanted to recreate one of the world’s largest waterfalls — Victoria Falls in southern Africa — on the stage. “I was ready to jump off the balcony of my office,” says Randy Phillips, president of the concert promotion firm AEG Live. “We went and met with Michael, and [director] Kenny [Ortega] said, ‘Michael, you’ve got to stop. We’ve got an incredible show, we don’t need any more vignettes.’ Michael said, ‘But Kenny, God channels this through me at night. I can’t sleep because I’m so supercharged.’ Kenny said, ‘But Michael, we have to finish. Can’t God take a vacation?’ Without missing a beat, Michael said, ‘You don’t understand — if I’m not there to receive these ideas, God might give them to Prince.’ ”
For more on the upcoming Michael Jackson movie, including exclusive photos, pick up the new issue of Entertainment Weekly on stands Friday, October 16th
Comments (1-15) of 153 Add your comment
What a nutjob.
You are the biggest nut job …you should know.
TOM,
you are the nut job! why else would you take the time to read this article just to make such a dumb remark?! lol
LONG LIVE THE KING–
I love you MJ 4EVA!
I just need to post and say how much I love Michael and as far as I’m concerned they can keep doing story, after story, after cover, after cover of him because I can’t get enough just as when he was alive. I love you Michael and you have inspired my entire life. Thank you sir.
kiss my ass,,
Don’t you wish we cared enough to do it!
MJ Fan’s do not have time for any negatives; we continue to mourn our Man Michael Joseph Jackson and celebrate his accomplishment and Legacy at the same time. We will allow all haters to remain in hate zone and peaceless language-keep moving people nothing to see here just another jealous MJ hater. Jealousy is such AN UGLY THING!
Tom Strong is a douche. Michael rocks now and forever.
Tom, thats why he is Michael Jackson and you are NutTom
haha well Tom, looks like the nutjob has you beat. He made billions and had the look that lead millions of fans. What have you done lately? hmm?
love mj so much
cant wait for the movie
Gawd, another vampire cover!
I totally agree. Stories about Jackson are fine and all, but I really do not need to see him on the cover. Hopefully this will be the last time for a long while.
So why are you hear commenting? There are a number of magazines at the newsstand, I’m sure if you’re inclined you can turn away from this one.
But you can’t help it, can you?
MIchael WAS amazing!
I certainly do not buy Entertainment Weekly because of Michael Jackson. And why am I “hear commenting”? Well firstly, assuming you meant “here” and not “hear,” I am here because I was interested in reading the article. And I commented because I agreed with the previous person. I don’t quite see what is so hard to understand.
You agreed with the previous person concerning their disdain at a Vampire cover? If you’ve got nothing positive to say then please don’t say anything at all. I highly doubt this world needs more negativity from the likes of people like you.
I was in no way trying to be negative. Just stating an opinion. I am allowed to have them just like everyone else.
I love that none of them (but Allyson) understand that the original comment was calling MJ a vampire!
The point is that while your comments were dismissive and denunciatory, you still commented, i.e. the pull of Jackson’s presence remains irrepressible. For once the world was given an entertainer whose talent actually matched, if not exceeded his celebrity—and his celebrity was titanic, incomprehensibly gigantic. The point Ameera was trying to make was that Michael’s presence elicits an immediate reaction in everyone; he simply couldn’t be ignored, denigrated or mocked perhaps, but not ignored. Your post while in accord with the preceding sneering remark actually underscored Jackson’s undeniable ability to draw a crowd—even after his death, he’s still putting on a show and you couldn’t help but react albeit not as a fan.
Please…can’t we just bury this poor man and let him rest in peace and let his family mourn him…enough already
Michael’s family and others are not just trying to mourn him, but CAPITALIZE on him. That is what this all about. Michael was an amazing entertainer, but he is gone now. However, those that remain are money hungry and the name Michael Jackson still sells. As long as they can squeeze another penny from the sale of his merchandise, they will. GREED is a terrible thing.
Oh come on…None of these things are even endorsed by the family. This is it and all the promotion and all the magazine covers are all AEG Live and SONY…and Michael HATED Sony! Don’t any of you understand that? Katherine, his mother, and the others have had NO HAND in any of this. There is the reality show of the Jackson Brothers, but that was in the works LONG before Michael died. And they didn’t want to talk about Michael in the show, but because of the network’s contract, they have to. So please get your facts straight before you pose false accusations and hurt this family more than it already has. God rest Michael Jackson.
I agree. Michael Jackson was an amazing entertainer. At the same time he was out of control personally. His family and associates are trying to capitalize on that and make as much money as possible. Everyone is trying to get into the head of a dead man. Who was he? Why did he live the way he did? We’ll never know who the real Michael Jackson was because his addictions changed his personality and he’s not here. Enjoy the talent and quit picking his bones.
You have no reason in saying this. You do not know. We all love Michael and want to give his fans something to have. In memory. Please, no more cruel comments.
MICHAEL JACKSON IS THE KING… WHAT A GENOUS. THANK YOU FOR THE COVER AND STORY ON THIS EW.
It would be such a change of pace if all of the uneducated people leaving comments on here would actually do some research before making comments on things which they clearly have no understanding about. To rehash these ridiculous stories that Michael Jackson ever molested a child is unbelievable! Go read the police reports and it becomes very clear he was extorted for money! That is why a jury acquitted him and anyone that took any time to look beyond the mainstream media’s sensationalism of the case would clearly see the truth. NO ONE who knew Michael well believed for a second that he harmed a child!! NO ONE!!! For all you that are continuing to perpetuate such nonsense, look farther then Diane Dimond and try to educate yourself!!! You are only making fools of yourself and besmirching our most accomplished good will ambassador and philanthropist….as well as a musical genius!
Thank you!
i second that
Well said, Im tired aswell by all the negative things these ignorant people are saying. I ask myself why are they reading a story on someone they dislike in the first place??
Robert, mad props. Could never have said it better!
I third that. My daughter was in a forensics class and saw first hand the reports (confidential at that time) while Michael was a live, and her professor told her that he was innocent both times. There was no evidence of any crime. Just allegations. So the justice system felt that this was nothing but a case of NUTTY people wanting money and tabloids out to get the most powerful and influential entertainer of all time!! They are still trying to make Michael look bad even in death. All I have to say is SHAME on those who are really guilty, ie.,Tom Sneddon, Dianne Dimond and anyone else who were so jealous of Michael that that wanted to take him down. Michael was just too famous and too powerful. He had power over the common folks like no other. And when a person has that much power and pull over the world, well there are those who want to destroy such love! We have seen this many times like with JFK, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. etc. There will never be another Michael Jackson. Even though he is gone, I want these DESTROYERS to know that they may have taken him from this Earth but they will never take him from our hearts, minds, and most of all HISTORY!! RIP, our KING!!
JLM, THANK YOU!!! Michael is the Greatest!!!
Thank youfor your great post; their hating and media smears has only made the fans love him more and mobilize. love you MJ!!!!!!!
bravo…!!! very well
Thank you so much, Robert. I really appreciate your defense of Michael. I actually had to see the private files on both investigations and it was completely clear to the class I was in that Michael was innocent. Haha I just saw that my mother left a comment…Hi JLM! As she said, I am a forensic science major and my professor was an “unofficial” consultant on the first allegations and therefore was called in on the investigation of the trial. She was not allowed to testify as to her expert opinion, but her conclusions are a part of the private invesitgative files. Every case has files that are kept out of public record, a little known secret, but this is where her opinion was the most valuable. She said that both allegations were clear-cut cases of extortion. In the first case, she didn’t even know it was Michael Jackson at first. She was not a fan, as she once told me, but she had a lot of respect for him. She said that he carried himself well, behaved mannerly, and cried several times while the “details” of the allegations were diclosed in the trial. She said she knew from her criminal profiling experience that he showed the body language of an innocent man and that his demeanor was the same. He was very poised and kind to those who spoke to him. He never once yelled out anything at his accusers like perpetrators usually do, and spoke quietly and intelligently and eloquently. Poor Michael. He didn’t deserve the witch hunt he had fallen victim to. It is MY FIRM BELIEF that the 2005 trial broke this man’s spirit and is what ultimately led to his death. Tom Sneddon, Diane Dimond, Tommy Mottola, and especially Martin Bashir should all resign their posts and I think that we should DEMAND it. Why is Bashir all of a sudden called to be a “Michael Jackson Expert”???? It makes no sense!!! I hope that it comes full circle and they get what they VERY TRULY deserve!!!
Thank you for your comments!
Please stop hating on MJ & His Family; you haters & media are still lying and smearing MJ’s name. We his fans will love him forever. FYI, We don’t need corporate media to write about MJ; we can write about him and we will buy all his CD, DVD, BOOKS, ETC..because we love him forever and his beautiful children!
I cannot wait to pick up this issue. I know it has been said overand over again, but itis worth repeating: MJ was a genius.
Michael said, ‘You don’t understand — if I’m not there to receive these ideas, God might give them to Prince.’
I love that tid bit.
Funniest soundbite i’ve heard in a while !!! MJ i luv u! RIP
Another ignorant person.
Yeah, that’s ign’ant. He’s just being ign’ant.
Wheeeee… I’m a child!
You’re lucky that MJ’s not still around, then.
Love Michael Jackson, I can’t wait to see this!
I LOVE MICHAEL JACKSON SO MUCH <3 I CANT WAIT TO SEE IT. HE IS AMAZING.
I just think it’s time to let the man rest. He hasn’t passed a few months, and here’s Sony pushing this deal to squeeze some more bucks out of him. I admired him as an artist, was sad to hear he’d died, and now it’s time to move on.
I agree. Let him rest in peace, but I don’t think that will ever happen. I’m just tired of all the coverage.
DONT READ IT THEN!
I second that Isabel… for all you people “tired” of the coverage.. CHANGE THE CHANNEL, LOOK AT ANOTHER MAGAZINE, CLICK ONT THE NEXT WEBSITE. Nobody is FORCING you to follow up on his stories!!!
I didn’t mean to offend anyone. I subscribe to EW so it’s not a matter of choosing to look at another magazine. I just feel like every few days another story is drudged up about Michael Jackson and I just wish he could be left alone. Not ignore what he contributed to the music world etc, but I feel like there are some people taking financial advantage of his death.
You feel it’s time to move on for YOU so you move on and let other people who are not ready heal at their own pace.
What Sony is doing is Sony’s business. Has nothing to do with the love of Michael’s fans.
I think we can let him rest in peace and celebrate his music at the same time… look at Elvis…
We are letting him move on. It is just that, everybody loves him agian so these people know that people want to buy his things. It is a little sad that people only love him because he’s died, but it is also a very good thing. Michael’s passing has brought back a new era again. We are keeping him alive in our hearts. <3 Love youu Michael. So much.
I grew up watching Michael Jackson perform and he was always innovative and seemingly magical. Super Genius.
Michael Jackson was such an innovator, I feel so lucky to have lived during his era. Awesome cover EW!
If you don’t like the picture don’t look. Im sure you have someone you admire so let us love and continue to support out star in heaven. No matter what anyone says about him he will always be the KING OF POP and he will never die
He is DEAD GONE FOREVER. Not everyone goes to Heaven. Sorry go read your Bible.
Actually Amber, maybe YOU should take it out and spend some time reading the Beatitudes. You know the Blessed are the . . . you might recognize someone and I’ve got a sneaking suspicion it won’t be yourself.
Leave Michael alone!!! Go spend some time doing something positive.
Amber,
Jesus is my King too. Did you know that Andrae Crouch led MJ to Christ 3 weeks before he died? Rodney Jerkins talked about to Don Lemon on CNN on the day MJ died about this incident. Andrae Crouch’s choir was the one that sang at his public memorial. Infact MJ asked Andrae Crouch to play ’soon and very soon, we are going to see the king…’ on the day that Crouch witnessed to him. So there you have it, he is in heaven. Yeah not everyone makes it to heaven, but this one did. Remember that Katherine is a prayor,she had probably been interceding on his behalf this whole time.
Your analogy sound like the right wing version of who God will and will not allow in heaven. How would you know where he went? I not only read the Bible, I understand it, and teach it to other – MJ believed in Jesus Christ and accepted him as his saviour; so, your statement thing is based on what? What you consider sin and not sin? You see if you really understood the Bible then you would know you can’t be good enough to get in to heaven based on your goodness or whether you are a good person.Heaven is based on John 3:16 not your fear of MJ light, humanity, and his great talent!MJ beauty in dance and song was a work of art which all came to him from God. I look foward to see MJ in heaven.
Michael said, ‘You don’t understand — if I’m not there to receive these ideas, God might give them to Prince.’ ”
HILARIOUS!
This is why I’m an EW subscriber. Looking forward to this issue.
@Sam Davidson:
I wholeheartedly agree.