MJ flick on the way

Well that was quick. Just three weeks after the death of Michael Jackson, and Sony already has plans to develop a film featuring the pop legend. Apparently it will draw on the 80 hours of rehearsal footage filmed for the concerts Jackson was preparing to perform in London, just before his death. Sony is ready to pay $50 million for the international rights to AEG Entertainment, which owns the footage and shopped it around to studios last week. HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL director and one of Jackson’s most vocal post-mortem supporters Kenny Ortega is set to direct the film and has already began assembling the footage so that it can be released by year’s end. Aside from rehearsal footage, the untitled film will also feature at least three videos, including an alternative version of “Thriller”. Gosh, there’s just nothing like capitalizing on a celebrity’s death while it’s still buzzworthy!