8/11/2009

in

With its Halloween-eve release date, Jackson footage will hit the big screen with "Thriller" style.

Corinna Craddock

The judge handling Michael Jackson's estate has signed his permission giving Sony Entertainment the go-ahead to pay AEG $60 million for footage of Jackson's "This Is It" tour rehearsals. Sony's Columbia Pictures will use the behind-the-scenes footage for a "This Is It" movie to be released Oct. 30.  
  
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff denied earlier requests from Jackson's family that the footage be turned over to the late singer's estate. The contract signed today states that Jackson's estate will receive 90 percent of the film's profits.  
  
By selling the hundreds of hours of rehearsal footage, AEG attempts to partially recover from financial losses suffered as a result of Jackson's death. Jackson died just weeks before his performances were to begin in London, leaving AEG out millions that were spent on Jackson's tour preparations.  
  
The movie will include digital 3D scenes, taken from footage originally intended to be viewed during Jackson's tour concerts.  
  
Katherine Jackson was permitted to review the contract before it was signed by Judge Beckloff, who may decide to appoint an attorney to represent her grandchildren's interest in their father's estate.  
  
Sources: [L.A. Times](http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/newsandbuzz/~3/ZwV6xyjc1LI/michael-jackson-movie-coming-out-oct-30-), [AP](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iFkB_v1PgxUXMcFwcrn881nii8WgD9A09EH80), [ABC News](http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=8296204)