Michael Jackson Movie Approved By Judge

by candice.tsuei | August 10, 2009 at 10:50 pm

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Michael Jackson will be hitting the big screen one last time.

In Los Angeles Superior Court, Judge Mitchell Beckloff approved a contract between the King of Pop's estate, concert promoters AEG Live and Columbia Pictures, allowing them to edit about 100 hours of rehearsal and behind-the-scenes footage into a movie. The footage was taken as Jackson prepared for his sell-out London This Is It comeback tour just days before he died.

Although the movie deal had been negotiated since last month, it was finally officially approved by the Judge today. Now that the deal has gone through, Sony has got in touch with Kenny Ortega, Jackson's creative partner on the concert series as well as the director for "High School Musical," to direct the movie, titled the same as the concert, "This Is It."

Columbia Pictures announced that they intend to release the film on October 30. The studio paid $60 million for rights to the film, and Jackson's estate is set to earn 90 percent of the profits according to the terms of the agreement.