In an attempt to cash in on the Michael Jackson fervour that has enveloped the world following his death, Sony Pictures are putting together plans for a feature film to be released before the end of the year. The movie will draw on the eighty hours of rehearsal footage filmed for concerts Jackson was preparing to perform in London.

The feature will also include at least three videos including an alternative version of ‘Thriller’ which were shot specifically for the London concerts.

Sony is expected to pay more than $50 million to concert organisers AEG for worldwide rights, after AEG shopped it around last week. This is a huge sum to pay for an unpredictable project, especially since the investigation into Jackson’s death is ongoing.

While I was a fan of his music, I find the God-like status to which people have elevated Jackson following his death pretty ridiculous. After all it’s not his music which has kept him in the headlines over the past 15 years. Come on, don’t tell me you liked his last album?

Here’s a sample of the footage -

Source: Variety