by Stacy Jackson
October 7, 2022
Production On Documentary About Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ Underway
Michael Jackson fans might want to prepare for this.
An official documentary surrounding Michael Jackson’s best-selling album, Thriller, is in the works as The Michael Jackson Estate and Sony Music Entertainment partner on the untitled, nonfiction film focusing on the famous album. The film is being directed by music historian and journalist Nelson George.
The film “takes fans back in time to the making of the record-breaking album and release of revolutionary short films that redefined the music video format and captivated audiences globally,” a release stated about the documentary, according to Deadline. “’ Billie Jean’ remains the most streamed Michael Jackson song, and ‘Thriller’ is the only music video that has been inducted onto the elite National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.”
The documentary will reportedly feature never-before-seen footage and interviews detailing the singer’s journey to mega-stardom.
“The release of
Thriller redefined
Michael Jackson, taking him from teen star to adult superstar, who composed memorable songs, sang beautifully and reached the highest level of on-stage performance,” the director said in a statement. “The album, and the short films they inspired, created a new template for marrying music and image. It’s been a privilege to explore this extraordinary album and revisit its magic.”
The release also provided details regarding the iconic music that the
documentary will highlight.
“’Beat It’ was a new kind of pop-rock hybrid and demolished the longstanding segregation between Black and white music with Eddie Van Halen’s incendiary guitar,” the release noted. “On ‘The Girl Is Mine,’ a Black man and a white man bantered about the same girl. When a fledgling MTV, which was programming white rock artists almost exclusively, refused to play the video for ‘Billie Jean,’ Epic persisted. Once the wall came crashing down, MTV’s ratings soared and a door was opened for a generation of African American artists.”
The collaboration includes Sony Music Entertainment, which will distribute the untitled Thriller film, Colin Hanks and Sean Stuart from Company Name, who will serve as producers; and John Branca and John McClain, who will serve as executive producers.
Sources report that there is no expected release date as of yet.
