Michael Jackson's This is It Film Released on DVD, Blu-ray Disc
Michael Jackson's This is It movie is now available on DVD and Blu-ray disc. The documentary film, directed by Kenny Ortega, is based on footage of Michael Jackson's rehearsal for his concerts in London that would have happened if he had not died.
You can read reviews of the DVD here, here and here.
The DVD and Blu-ray disc can be purchased on Amazon.com for a discount.
Paul Anka Says New Michael Jackson Song Was Stolen From Him
TMZ reports that legendary singer songwriter Paul Anka has come forward to claim that the new Michael Jackson song "This is It" was stolen from him. Anka wrote the song for Michael in 1983, but Michael rejected it after hearing the demo tapes. So Anka had singer Safire record it. But Michael kept some of the demo tapes, which he was eventually forced to return under threat of legal action.
Anka tells TMZ in 1983, he wrote a song with Jackson called "I Never Heard" -- and the demo of the song was recorded in Anka's studio in Carmel, CA. Anka says he took the tape to a studio in Hollywood to put the finishing touches on it for Anka's duets album, "Walk a Fine Line." Anka claims Jackson -- who was just blowing up at the time with "Thriller" -- got a big head and "stole the tapes" from the studio.
Anka tells us he called the lawyers who repped both he and Jackson -- ironically one of them was John Branca -- and threatened them with a lawsuit if he didn't get the tapes back. Anka got them back but insists Jackson made a copy of the tapes and used the track with his voice from "I Never Heard" -- and simply retitled it, "This is It."
Anka gave "I Never Heard" to another artist -- Safire -- who recorded it in 1990.
We called Sony Music who released "This Is It" ... no comment so far.
You can hear both versions of the song here. It seems like whoever put this song out after Michael's death didn't check into the ownership of the song. It's very clearly the same song that Anka and Jackson co-wrote in 1983. We think Paul Anka is about to get cut in on the royalties.
Michael Jackson's new single "This Is It" has been released on MichaelJackson.com. The new track is included in the This Is It album that will be released October 27th.
Reaction to the song has been positive. The song is also hitting the airwaves. The track arrived at Sony's headquarters in London accompanied by tight security on Monday.
New Michael Jackson Debuts Online at 12 A.M. EST on October 12th
A never-before released song from Michael Jackson called "This Is It" will be unveiled on MichaelJackson.com on 12 a.m. EST on October 12th. "This Is It" features backing vocals by Michael's brothers. The song plays during the closing sequence of Sony Picture's upcoming film, Michael Jackson's This Is It. It is also on 2-disc CD set Michael Jackson's This Is It, which is the stand-alone companion to the motion picture. The 2-disc set will be released on October 27th. It also includes a new spoken word poem from Michael Jackson called "Planet Earth."
New Michael Jackson Song to be Released October 12th
ArtsBeat reports that a song by Michael Jackson called "This is It" will be released on October 12th. The song bears the same name as the concerts that had been planned for Michael Jackson at London's O2 Arena.
A new song by Mr. Jackson, called "This Is It," will be released next month, Sony Music Entertainment said Wednesday in a news release. The song, which shares its title with the comeback tour that Mr. Jackson was rehearsing when he died in June, will be released as a single on Oct. 12, Sony said.
ArtsBeat also says that an upcoming Michael Jackson album - also called This is It - will contain a previously unheard spoken-word poem by Mr. Jackson called "Planet Earth." That album will be released at the end of October.
Michael Jackson Movie Tickets Go on Sale in September
CNN reports that tickets for a Michael Jackson film that contains feature from rehearsals for his "This is Concert" will go on sale Sunday, September 27.
Tickets for "Michael Jackson: This Is it" go on sale Sunday, September 27, Sony said in a news release Thursday.
"Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, and genius as he creates and perfects his final show," Sony said.
Kenny Ortega, who was working with Jackson to create the "This Is It" concert, is also directing the documentary.
"As we began assembling the footage for the motion picture, we realized we captured something extraordinary, unique and very special," Ortega said. "It's a very private, exclusive look into a creative genius' world."
The movie will be in theatres at the end of October and will be in theatres for two weeks.
This is a promotional video that was made from rehearsals for Michael Jackson's This Is It tour. The clip includes dancers who tried out to be backup dancers at the London 02 Arena concerts that would have been. Michael Jackson meets some of the dancers at the end of the clip. Tkae a look:
A never-before released song from Michael Jackson called "This Is It" will be unveiled on 
ArtsBeat 
