Biopic On His Younger Years Also In The Works
Even though he’s since passed on, that hasn’t stopped Michael Jackson from being a moonwalking money making machine. The pop singer earned a staggering $275 million last year from beyond the grave, topping the Top Earning Dead Celebrity list (yes, someone actually keeps track of this). But the gravy train won’t stop there as plans are afoot to turn “Thriller” into a feature length movie.
A package is being shopped around Hollywood that has some interesting talent attached, oddly pairing Kenny Ortega (“This Is It“) to direct and Jeremy Garelick (“The Break-Up“) to write. But just what will this thing be about? Details are scarce but the film will explore the “folklore” of the song involving Vincent Price‘s character from the video and the town he grew up in. And we presume it will explain what led to a bunch of zombies to breakdance in unison in the dead of night in city streets.
GK Films are the front-runners to land the film, but Fox 2000, Mandate/Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment are in all the hunt to land the lucrative property. But that’s not all coming from the Jackson estate. Cirque du Soleil are apparently planning two shows based around his music in addition to Ivan Reitman and Tom Pollock‘s Montecito Picture Company developing a biopic about Jackson’s younger years. But in case you’re too young to remember when “Thriller” was a huge TV event, with kids crowding around the living the room to watch the premiere (it was a pretty big deal) check out the full thirteen minute video, directed by John Landis, below.
