Sony Pictures has released details on what it plans to do with the Michael Jackson "This is It" rehearsal footage, and it will be available for viewing by Halloween.
Sony expects to release the footage to theatres "around the world" Oct. 30.
It is being produced with the full support of the Michael Jackson estate, drawn from hundreds of hours of rehearsal footage in high-definition with "state-of-the-art audio."
"People who have seen this footage are astounded by the amazing quality of Michael Jackson’s performance," Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton said in a statement. "This historic recording of the last time he sang and danced on stage shows the legendary artist in an incredibly powerful way, with crystal clear images and sound."
Additional information on the film is expected to be available in the coming weeks at MichaelJackson.com. Some proceeds will benefit the Michael Jackson Family Trust.
AEG Live and the Michael Jackson’s estate acquired the rights to the footage, and AEG’s Randy Phillips and Paul Gongaware will serve as producers of the film.
The majority of the footage was shot in June at Staples Center in Los Angeles and The Forum in Inglewood, Calif.
