Academy Award-winning writer-director Paul Haggis (Crash, Million Dollar Baby), whose own personal efforts as well as those of Artists for Peace and Justice have already saved countless lives in Haiti, filmed the private recording session to create the accompanying video and behind-the-scenes production, and serves as Film Director and as an Executive Producer with Jones, Richie, Jean, Phillips and Tortorici.

The 25th Anniversary recording features over 80 artists and performers. The recording of We Are The World 25 For Haiti embodied the same enthusiasm, sense of purpose and generosity as the original recording 25 years ago. Every one of the artists who participated, regardless of genre or generation, walked into the room with their hearts and souls completely open to coming together to help the people of Haiti.

Dressed in their martial arts gear, it is clear that Michael Jackson’s children are thoroughly enjoying their classes.

Prince Michael II, nicknamed Blanket, left his lesson yesterday with his brother and sister but was so pumped up that he continued to practise his moves on the way to the car.

The seven-year-old was grinning widely as he left the karate centre in Encino, California and laughed with ’secret son’ Omer Bhatti.

Karate kid: Blanket Jackson practises his moves as he leaves his martial arts lesson in California yesterday

Jackson’s rumoured love child has been a constant companion to Prince, 12, Paris, 11 and Blanket since their father died.

Yesterday Blanket grabbed the tie around the 25-year-old’s neck and danced out of the karate centre with Omer following him and smiling.

Paris and Prince were also at their class. Even though the centre caters exclusively for children and teens under 16, it seems Omer is allowed to join in.

Wannabe startin’ somethin? Blanket grabs his rumoured brother Omer Bhatti around the neck and leads him out of the karate centre

Constant companion: Omer has been a support to the Jackson children and accompanied them on many outings

The karate kids centre aims to ‘inspire self esteem in every child’ through martial arts and to teach the youngsters learning leadership skills and martial arts technique.

The children have been living with Jackson’s mother Katherine at the family compound in Encino, California since their father’s death in June.

Their aunt, La Toya Jackson, recently spoke of how  the children are, finding it tough to cope with the loss of their father.

The 53-year-old said Prince Michael Jackson, the oldest of the children, is having the hardest time accepting the loss.

Prince (left) and Paris leave their class in Encino, California

‘Prince just doesn’t want to speak about it,’ she said. ‘I do worry about him very much.”

She claims that he, too, suffers from vitiligo, the skin disease which Jackson had.

Blanket, seven, is also suffering from the separation.

‘He is just a very sad, shy little boy,’ she said. ‘He cries – he really does cry. It’s so painful for him. No one can bring his Daddy back and it hurts too much.’

But Paris is coping a little better and has posters of her father covering her walls.

‘She’s doing very well,’ La Toya said. ‘She thinks and talks about her father all the time.

Quiet: Eldest sibling Prince is said to avoid talking about his late father but his aunt La Toya claims he suffers from vitiligo too

Boy, was I wrong. This Is It is quite amazing. Directed by Kenny Ortega, who also directed the show that never opened, it offers far more than a glimpse. Out of the rehearsals, Ortega has constructed what amounts to a full-blown concert movie, framed with a smattering of candid backstage moments that are both amusing and touching. And the end of it you feel you’ve seen pretty well the whole show—which is spectacular—as well as getting some gems of unprecedented insight into the artist behind it. And here’s the real news: the movie refutes once and for all the glut of media reports after his death claiming that he was washed up as a performer, and was in no shape to put on a show. Yes, he does look frail, and with all that make-up, we’ll never know how pale. But he never appears stoned, unfocused or incapable. The movie could serve as evidence in the trial of the man accused of his murder. Executing intricate choreography, Jackson dances with the same semaphore precision and fluid virtuosity that made him a legend. And although he lacks power, his dreamy falsetto is still in tact, and he’s clearly trying to hold back. “Don’t make me sing out,” he begs at one point in a scene that’s both funny and freighted with sad irony. “I gotta save my voice.”

The film also amply demonstrates that the show, billed as Jackson’s farewell tour, wasn’t just a cynical attempt to pay off his debts with a routine greatest-hits show. That may have been the initial motive. But that’s also why Leonard Cohen returned to the stage after a 15 year absence, and 17 months later Leonard is still on tour at 75, delivering the richest performances of his life. (Hey, Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol for the cash.) Jackson’s swan song was mounted as a first-class production, with spectacular staging, choreography and costumes, as well as a hot band. The backup singers fortify the arrangements with a sound that amounts to a composite facsimile of Jackson’s voice. The dancers, who include Cirque de Soleil-style acrobats and aerialist, are sensational. As are the musicians, notably a sexy but dead-cool blond guitarist, Orianthi Panagaris, who stalks the stage with him like a gun moll on various numbers.

There’s also a series of cinematic backdrops. Thriller is re-enacted in a graveyard crawling with zombies. Michael is digitally implanted into vintage movies — catching a glove tossed by Rita Hayworth in Gilda and exchanging volleys of machine gun fire with Humphrey Bogart. A young girl chases digital butterflies through a rain forest, falls asleep, and wakes up to see the forest devastated.These touches are often hokey, bringing out Jackson’s naive taste in Hollywood iconography, but they’re undeniably ambitious, as is the concert’s finale, an earnest Save the Planet plea that pits Jacko against a monstrous bulldozer.

Aside from the performance footage, the movie offers some tantalizing backstage moments. Not enough, to be sure. There’s a funny bit with a Russian choreographer instructing dancers on the finer points of crotch grabbing. And a costume designer breathlessly talks about breaking new ground with outfits on the cutting edge of glitter. So bright you can barely look at them. I wish Ortega had included more of this stuff, instead of dutifully trying to reassemble the entire concert. And, of course, there’s not a frame of the film that casts MJ in a bad light—make no mistake, this is adoring hagiography, not candid documentary. Yet we still get a better sense of Jackson than we’ve ever had from his cringe-worthy interviews or his slick videos.

He may be a freak. But it soon becomes clear that he’s an artist with an abiding perfectionism and total authority over the creative process: while Ortega is the show’s director, MJ is firmly in charge, right down to fine-tuning lighting cues. There’s a lovely little scene of him coaching the band’s keyboard player and musical director, Michael Breardon, on how to play The Way You Make Me Feel, asking him to play a song “just a little more behind the beat, like you’re dragging yourself outta bed . . . you gotta let it simmer, let it bathe in the moonlight.” Whether Jackson is dancing or just explaining, the music and the moves seem hardwired into his being, like a quicksilver vocabulary, as if he’s been channelling those ghostly spirits from Thriller all along.

Even though the film doesn’t show any tantrums—which doesn’t mean there weren’t any—there are amusing glimmers of vulnerability. While Jackson is rehearsing a Jackson Five segment, he gets frustrated with his earpiece. “It feels like someone’s fist is shoved in my inner ear,” he complains, his voice trembling. “I’m trying to adjust my inner ear . . . with love.” With MJ, every request is punctuated with “love” or “God bless you.” Yet he comes across as more of a professional than a prima donna. And as he rips through his hits in full costume — Black and White, Man in the Mirror, Billy Jean — the camera pans down to the stadium audience: a couple of dozen screaming crew members who look thrilled to witness the resurrection of a legend.

This movie exists because Jackson insisted on filming rehearsals for his personal archive. Had he lived to tour the concert, undoubtedly a concert film would have been made. But it’s hard to imagine it would be better than this one. It would have been slicker, to be sure. But by seeing Jackson in rehearsal, we get some inkling of a person who never showed himself in public. Not just in the little backstage bits, but also in his performance style, which seems looser and warmer, a little less robotic, because it is, after all, a rehearsal. Whether vamping a soulful coda to a duet with a female backup singer or adjusting a dance cue, we finally get to see the adult Michael Jackson: a sophisticated artist in his element, surrounded by a devoted crew and a crack squad of dancers who have worshiped him since they were young children, rehearsing a show that they will never get to perform. They thought they were mounting a farewell tour; in fact they were making a movie.

Cast in the shadow of his death, there’s a heartbreaking sadness to this movie memorial that’s more tangible, and delicate, than the ghoulish spectacle mounted by the media. Whether or not you’re a fan, This is It shows that the only thing the matters, in the end, is the music. Proving that art can trump celebrity, it goes a long way to redeeming Michael Jackson—by reminding us why he became famous in the first place.

Before I go into the movie, let me say it was an honor to be invited by Dame Elizabeth. She looked great, and it was really nice to see her. Michael had her over all the time, and we got to spend a lot of time together. She’s about as good as they come, and she and Michael were great friends. They shared a mutual love, respect and admiration for each other.

Now, the movie. Dame Elizabeth loved it, and so did I. It was like he was still here, which made it a little bit eerie for me, and very emotional. Thank God I had my Kleenex handy.

The movie follows Michael through the last few months at rehearsals for the “This Is It” concerts. It’s a lot of backstage footage of him through the process.

Michael’s fans will really enjoy this movie. His creative brilliance comes out in the film. It will prove he was ready to go – he was there, just days away from going to London and doing these 50 shows. He was 50 years-old, and he looked and sounded amazing – a genius to the end.

I’m not trying to sell anything to anybody, but this movie shows Michael was a normal person. He went to work, and did his job, his job was just a bit different. It will also show he was great, up to the very end.

My favorite part of the film was when Michael performed “Human Nature.” It’s a hard song for me to hear it on the radio or on CD, but to see him perform it on stage – it gets to me. I’m not sure why that song more than any other, but I always enjoyed the way he performed it on stage. It did something for me then, and it still does.

As much as I enjoyed the movie, it was hard for me to watch. I still don’t watch movies of my dad. It’s just too tough. I have the same feelings about seeing Michael on screen. It’s hard to watch someone I’ve spent so many years with – someone who was such a part of my life – look so vibrant on screen, and know he’s not with me anymore. I’ve had so many losses in the last few years, they’re stacking up for me.

I’m told some are speculating there was a Michael “double” in parts of the movie. I can tell you that is simply NOT TRUE. I was there for all the rehearsals. That’s all Michael. It’s Michael Jackson, and only Michael Jackson. They just want to make a stupid story out of nothing.

I think people will leave the theater after seeing “This Is It” saying “WOW!” Wow because he was about as close to genius as you can get, and the film gives us a rare look at that genius. You can’t take your eyes off of him because he’s so electrifying. I’m proud of it, and I’m sure he would be too.

Four months nearly have passed since the world lost sight of Michael Jackson. Yes, society’s own prodigal son. We “knew” him without knowing him, we loved him and he loved us more. And randomly out of nowhere he made a quiet exit, curtains clanged shut and the house lights came on. As we all struggled to adjust our vision in the days and weeks in the immediate aftermath of June 25th two divisive groups emerged.

The first of these, although timid of their own sanity, were the group who just didn’t buy what they were being told. They watched, they observed, they dug a little deeper into the mystery.

The second came along after. Their thoughts were around before, but they didn’t coagulate into a solid group until recently. They watched the beforehand, observed the beforehand, but had no mystery into which to plant even the shallowest of spades.

I am, of course, referring to the now two vocal groups of individuals seeking both “truth” and “justice” for Michael today; hoaxers and the murder conspiracy theorists. Between the two a sudden power struggle has inexplicably erupted, as one side seems to can’t see the other’s viewpoint to save their life (no pun intended). To be fair, the inconsistencies between both theories justify their own possibility. I’ve used this example before, and for equality I will apply it again here, as far as Michael Jackson and his “death” are concerned, we exist in a quantum reality. Example: I set a box on a table in front of you. If the box is marked “HAT” then you might logically assume that there is a hat inside the box. But in a quantum reality at the present moment in time there is a hat in the box, and there is also no hat in the box. Each possibility is true until one crosses into the plane of our reality, which is to say; until you open the box both must be assumed to be true and untrue.

Which is basically a fancy way of saying, until Michael shows back up or enough time and events pass to prove he’s not showing back up, we must imagine that both are true. That said; don’t allow discouraging thoughts to worry your pretty little heads. We’re going to employ the old grade school problem-solving method of compare/contrast to weed our way to the most likely result.

Health

There are as many stories for Michael’s health in 2009 as there are stars in the sky. Multiple visits to doctors’ offices, rumors of cancer, rumors of lung disease, rumors… rumors. One side claims they watched him slowly go downhill to 108 pounds (an awful exact guesstimate if I might observe) as he only seemed to become worse and weaker. However, judging from what we’ve seen thus far (that we can confirm thus far is actually Michael) he is alarmingly thinner than he has been in years. Since the last time he performed I’d say. As we age, our lean muscle mass declines as humans become more sedentary as they age. How many ripped 80 year-olds do you see? Not many. So if we just assume Michael knew what he was doing and following his normal rehearsal habit, he dropped his usual pre-tour weight but without the lean muscle from his 30s, we would be apt to assume something sinuous might be going on. While I say he is thinner, I do think he was healthy. Any busy parent or workaholic who forgets to eat, will know exactly what I mean. So since there is no conclusive proof that Michael was in ill health, we must by logic assume he was in good health for a man his age.

Advantage: Hoax

Addictions

Continuing on from the same line of thought I had previously, if you are one of those workaholics and you also battle with insomnia, you’ll know why many people might’ve assumed he was being drugged. I can prove this (not that you know me) from my own life experience. I totally am on the same creative biorhythm as Michael. I have my best ideas and most productive inspirations between midnight and 6am, with a huge burst of it usually around daybreak. This wasn’t a problem when I worked as a radio DJ on the graveyard and morning shows as I could skew my day around my natural stasis. Now that I’m a member of the Monday – Friday workforce professionals, I still haven’t changed and stay up all night long at least once per week, I’m awake until 2 or 3am on work nights unless my body gives out from exhaustion. And the weekends? Let’s just say I rarely see sunlight. The days after the nights without sleep are rough. Though I feel that I am peaking creatively and mentally, I often come across as erratic, hyper, goofy, and drugged up. I’ve even been asked a time or two what I was on, and if I could share! Sleep deprivation is actually considered DUI in some American states, because it’s effects on a person are the same as being intoxicated from alcohol or substance.

While Michael has admittedly fought vices in the past, I will go out on a limb for him and say I see no such thing out of him this year. What I see is an overtired genius at his creative peak pushing himself to some unfathomable (to us) goal, while also being a single father to three children, and dealing with every other thing life was throwing at him. And frankly, he did it with more grace than most anyone could muster. And to say he had relapsed into his addiction is to turn a blind eye to the sober and lucid determination and drive he clearly demonstrated.

Advantage: Hoax

Doctor Murray

To the conspiracy theorists, he’s the fall guy for murder. Murder by contract. Sent in by the execs that were after Michael’s fortunes. However, multiple people from label, AEG, and family have stated Michael knew Murray before hand and hired him specifically himself. But that could just be their “spin” on it to “clear them of wrongdoing”. Unfortunate for the hoax theory this would also explain why we haven’t seen nor heard a word out of him from day one.

So here’s the hole in that. Murray’s newest lawyer for his baby-mamma drama is a mere back alley no name from Vegas. His email address links back to a yahoo account. Doesn’t sound like these ill-conspiring executives really care for keeping their scapegoat well defended, do they? That wouldn’t make sense for a murder conspiracy. You’d expect him to somehow magically be represented by some of the best legal teams around. I mean, if he’s “innocent”, after all. Which if a corporation is powerful enough to bring down a man like Michael they can be powerful enough to buy their own trial. However, no one has stepped up to spin the story in the direction of Murray’s innocence. Not a one person from any camp has fessed up to actually having known and met Murray except for Jermaine.

In this case, I still must request he be proven to exist before I can buy that he’s a murderer. Propofol might kill people, but fictitious doctors do NOT.

Advantage: Draw.

He Was Worth More Dead Than Alive

This is a ridiculous statement. Any adult carrying a life insurance policy is worth more dead than alive. I can understand the complex intricacies of Michael’s situation and the many many nefarious hoodlums and hangers-on that flocked to him like moths to a flame (burned by the fire… sorry, Janet moment) would certainly give ample room to motive for such a twisted scheme to have actual credibility. But how credible? Michael had been in the business for forty-five (count ‘em) years. I imagine if someone were going to off him for personal or professional or monetary gain, they’d have done so long ago. And if it were some devilish plot from unnamed Walter Yetnikoff wannabes, they’d have timed it much better than three weeks before his concert were to start. To suggest he was killed by a plot, suggests there was also a plot to kill him. Which would denote that his death would have been planned and organized down to the detail for biggest impact and biggest shock value. Knowing rock & roll tragedy as well as I do, the night after his first performance would have not only been more heartbreaking, but way more untimely, and tragic. And believe it or not, would have sold far more merchandise as now they could also market the “final show”. Not have to patch one together from rehearsal footage. It is by logic of knowing that the chain of events doesn’t feed into a money making scheme as what could have been, I must then conclude that logically there was no conspiracy to kill him by Sony, AEG, or anyone. Unless of course, there really was, and Michael found out. Then he took this knowledge and planned his escape before they could get him. Plus, who out there actually believes Kenny Ortega could be an accessory to murder? Because that’s what these conspiracies inadvertently suggest.

Advantage: Inconclusive, most likely hoax.

Hoax – 2, Conspiracy – 0, Tie – 2.

Time has left us with two options going forward. Murder, or a mystery. The one thing we don’t know is who is the man behind the curtain? Is he back there pulling ropes and pouring more liquid hydrogen in the fog machine? Is he setting up the mirrors for the next phase? Or is there even a man behind the curtain anymore at all?

This is where the subtitle helps, dead men don’t tell tales. That might be some old cliché. But, clichés are clichés because they are the constant things that have stood the test of time. In observing the continually unfolding storyline (and it’s such a well crafted one) we have the literal interpretation of a dead man telling a tale.

…But dead men don’t tell tales.

This must mean there’s no dead man.

“I was honored with the great privilege of seeing “This Is It” last week. I was sworn to secrecy, but now I can let you know about it.
It is the single most brilliant piece of filmmaking I have ever seen. It cements forever Michael’s genius in every aspect of creativity.

To say the man is a genius is an understatement. He cradles each note, coaxes the music to depths beyond reality. I wept from pure joy at his God given gift. There will never, ever be the likes of him again.

And we have this piece of film to remind us forever and ever that once there was such a man. God kissed him.

God blessed him and squandered nothing, but loved it all. Michael knew how to put together every tone, every nuance to make magic.

To say he was a genius seems so little. I wish my vocabulary encompassed what I feel.

You owe it to yourselves and your loved ones to see this again and again. Memorize it and say to yourselves, “I saw genius in my lifetime.

I loved genius in my lifetime. God was so good to me. I will love Michael forever and so will you, if you don’t already.

I hope I don’t sound condescending. I’m sure you already know what I’m talking about, but go to see it again and again.

I meant to repeat myself. I love you. I remember Michael loved you. He was totally up to now and the message of today in all his songs.

If you listen to his lyrics they are those of a modern day prophet and it beseeches us to listen to him and what he sang.

I won’t use words like preaching because that is off-putting, but listen. Listen to his messages.

From “Black And White”, “Man In The Mirror”. The inspiration behind “We Are The World”. We must take his words of responsibility seriously.

We cannot let his life be in vain / and always done with love. Remember that. Remember him and thank God for him and his genius.

Kenny Ortega did a masterful job of directing the process that goes into making a complete show before hitting the stage.”

Kenny Ortega is a world-class choreographer, and was the mastermind behind the Thanksgiving Day Parade in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Madonna’s “Material Girl” music video, Patrick Swayze sexy moves in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing and was the director of High School Muscial.
Oprah on “This Is It” – Kenny Ortega’s Interview on the Oprah Winfrey Show

Oprah Winfrey, who got a sneak preview of 12 minutes of Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” film, said that the movie was “magical.” The 12 minutes of “This Is It” was delivered by armed security guards, who stood by as Oprah Winfrey viewed the footage, and then left with “This Is It” in hand.

Oprah Winfrey mentioned that Michael Jackson appeared skinny, but was impressed with his obvious energy and excitement about the performance. Oprah Winfrey also said that while viewing she thought, “Wow! What a loss!”
“This Is It” Film Production – Kenny Ortega’s Interview on the Oprah Winfrey Show

When Oprah Winfrey asked Kenny Ortega how he handled the death of Michael Jackson, Kenny Ortega said, “I had the hardest time. I had just seen him 14 hours earlier.” Kenny Ortega added that he would tell Michael Jackson that he loved him and that Michael Jackson would respond “I love you more.”

Kenny Ortega said that cutting the film, making the film, and having the entire group together helped to create a supportive situation. Kenny Ortega felt lucky to have the opportunity to be there with the material, which gave a greater value to the history that he shared with the legendary King of Pop, Michael Jackson.

Oprah Winfrey asked Kenny Ortega if he had been able to process the fact that Michael Jackson is gone. Kenny Ortega responded, “Little bits, he’s so much alive for me still, thank God.”

Kenny Ortega added that Michael Jackson is so present in the film that viewers will almost forget that he’s no longer with us.

Kenny Ortega told Oprah Winfrey how Michael Jackson would call him at 3 a.m. to dicuss the upcoming concert, saying, “We need fireflies!” Kenny Ortega compared Michael Jackson to a firefly because he shines from the inside out.

The Oprah Winfrey show included exclusive clips from Michael Jackson’s rehearsals, including for the song “The Way You Make Me Feel.”

Kenny Ortega told Oprah Winfrey that they started rehearsing in late April, and started physical rehearsals at The Forum and The Staples Center in Los Angeles in May and June. Michael Jackson was about 8 days from London, where they would conduct the final rehearsals before the tour.
Kenny Ortega on Michael Jackson’s Weight – Kenny Ortega’s Interview on the Oprah Winfrey Show

After watching some more footage from “This Is It,” Oprah Winfrey asked Kenny Ortega if he was concerned about Michael Jackson’s weight.

Kenny Ortega said that they looked after him, stressing that the entire crew was a family with a refrigerator full of drinks and healthy food.

Kenny Ortega added that he saw no hint of drug use, and that he saw fatigue at time, due to his sleepless nights, but that Michael Jackson always insisted that he felt good, working on the record, being a father, brainstorming about the performance.
This Is It Choreography – Kenny Ortega’s Interview on the Oprah Winfrey Show

Although Travis Pane and Michael Jackson were the primary choreographers, Kenny Ortega played a large role, calling them “The Three Muskateers” or “The Three Stooges.” Kenny Ortega added that Michael Jackson was an improvisational genius.

All the dancers were inspired by Michael Jackson, and were participating in what they had always dreamed of. Kenny Ortega said that the dancers always felt special when Michael Jackson looked their way.

Michael Jackson was constantly adding to the performance, and with the budget already surpassing $24 million, Randy Phillips said, “I was ready to jump off the balcony of my office. 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.’ ”

Kenny Ortega also mentioned that Michael Jackson greatly admired Prince, who recently spoke about Michael Jackson after a concert at the Gran Palais.

Highly Anticipated Motion Picture Generates

Huge Demand Around the World

Online Ticket Services Report Hundreds Of Sold-Out Shows

in First Day of North American Advance Sales

More Than $1 Million In Ticket Sales In Japan Alone

“I’ve never seen anything like it in the 25 years I have been film buying,” says UK Exhibitor

CULVER CITY, Calif., September 28, 2009 – Sony Pictures Entertainment, in conjunction with Sony Music Entertainment, today announced that the first 24-hours of pre-sales activity for Michael Jackson’s This Is It has resulted in record-breaking sales throughout the world as fans secure the first tickets to the two-week, limited engagement of the highly-anticipated motion picture.

With reports still coming in from nations around the world, it is believed no movie in history has generated so many ticket sales so far in advance of its release.

In North America, online ticket sellers Fandango and MovieTickets.com report that there is extraordinary demand for the film with hundreds of showtimes already sold out after one day of pre-sales. Some 80% of all online ticketing service transactions were for the film, which will debut in some markets with special advance showings the evening of Tuesday, October 27 and will open worldwide on Wednesday, October 28. The film is directed by long-time Jackson collaborator Kenny Ortega.

Domestically, an unprecedented number of shows for the two-week engagement have sold out in the first 24 hours of ticket availability in locations from coast-to-coast, including such cities as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Nashville and New York, among others. Internationally, exhibitors from London and Sydney to Bangkok and Tokyo have experienced the same epic demand.

In London, Vue Entertainment’s Film Buying Director Stuart Boreman said Michael Jackson’s This Is It sold more than 30,000 tickets in its first 24-hours, setting the biggest ever one-day sales record in the UK, eclipsing advance buying for films including Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. “I’ve never seen anything like it in the 25 years I have been film buying,” Boreman said. “It’s a true phenomenon and sales show no sign of slowing down.”

In the United States, more than 500,000 fans performed searches for showtimes on the official www.thisisit-movie.com website. Online buzz for Michael Jackson’s This Is It was 60 percent higher Sunday than for any other upcoming film.

Commenting on the extraordinary results, Rory Bruer, President of Worldwide Theatrical Distribution for Sony Picture Releasing said, “Michael Jackson’s fans all over the globe have enormous interest in this film and we can assure they will not be disappointed. This film delivers on everything they hope and expect to see. I think the initial sales activity we are seeing in the United States and United Kingdom to countries such as Australia and Thailand underscores the unique nature of this film, which is a special celebration of Michael and his music.”

In Japan, more than $1 million in ticket sales were recorded within the first 24 hours of their release, setting an advanced-sales record unmatched by any movie in history.

Staggering advance sales were reported in Australia, where tickets for Michael Jackson’s This Is It purchased through Village Cinemas exceeded the lifetime pre-sales of such blockbusters as Transformers, and X-Men Origins.

In Bangkok, Thailand, fans lined up at box office ticket counters throughout the city, and by the end of the first day, all tickets for the first showings across Bangkok were sold-out.

In Los Angeles, at Regal Cinema’s LA LIVE Stadium 14, fans began lining up on Thursday night for tickets to some of the city’s first public showings, and within hours of Sunday morning’s starting bell for advance pre-sales, the exhibitor reported selling out of all 3,000 of their seats for shows on Tuesday night October 27th.

Sell-outs at theaters in France are also being reported; thousands of fans lined up at The Grand Rex in Paris and quickly bought out the film’s first screening there. Record-setting sales also were recorded in Germany; hundreds of fans lined up outside one theater in Munich at midnight to await the opening of the box office. As one German exhibitor noted, “Something like this never happened before in Germany.”

Record sales and sell-outs are also being reported in Holland, Sweden, Belgium and New Zealand, among other countries.

Moviegoers worldwide can get information for the two-week limited engagement by visiting www.thisisit-movie.com. For fans wishing to discover the closest theater playing the film near their home in North America, please call (877) 488-4258.

Michael Jackson’s This Is It will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London’s O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from March through June, 2009, the film is produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at Jackson as he has never been seen before. In raw and candid detail, Michael Jackson’s This Is It captures the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, creative genius, and great artist at work as he creates and perfects his final show. Kenny Ortega, who was both Michael Jackson’s creative partner and the director of the stage show, is also directing the film, which is being produced by Randy Phillips, Kenny Ortega and Paul Gongaware. Executive producers are John Branca and John McClain. The film will be distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Releasing. For more information about the film please visit www.thisisit-movie.com.

Sony Music Entertainment’s Columbia/Epic Label Group will release a two-disc album “This Is It” featuring music inspired by the motion picture. The album will be available internationally on October 26th and in North America on October 27th.