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From: Steve Elzer[[email protected]]
Sent: Sunday, July 19, 2009 10:26 AM
To: Blake, Jeff; Elzer, Steve; Gumpert, Andrew; Weil, Leah;
Kennedy, Jim; Schlessel, Peter; Pascal, Amy; Lynton, Michael
CC: Weinstock, Marc; Van Galder, Valerie
Subject: Revised Jackson Draft
I was asked by Branca to come up with quotes for the Estate
(Branca & McClain) so this draft incorporates your request for
a stronger Sony United narrative as well as some minor additional
tweaks and those quotes, which have not been reviewed or approved
outside of the studio. As soon as we sign off internally, I will
share this version with Sony Music, AEG, and The Estate. Please let
me know your thoughts.
MICHAEL JACKSON'S "THIS IS IT TBD," TO BE PRESENTED IN THEATERS
AROUND THE WORLD BY SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT, SONY MUSIC
ENTERTAINMENT AND ANSCHUTZ ENTERTAINMENT
GROUP
-Film Drawn From Legendary Entertainer's Last Rehearsals and
Behind-The-Scenes Footage Will Be Released October 30th in High
Definition with Digital Sound-
CULVER CITY, Calif., July xxxx, 2009 - On October 30th, the
world will have a front-row seat for Michael Jacksons final
concert, as Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music
Entertainment release Michael Jackson's This is It TitleTBD.
The film will be drawn from hundreds of hours of rehearsal and
behind-the-scenes footage, captured in high definition with state
of the art digital sound as the late singer was preparing for his
concert series. The film, which will also offer a unique career
retrospective and feature interviews with some of Jackson's closest
friends and creative collaborators, is being produced with the full
support of the Estate of Michael Jackson.
The announcement was made by Michael Lynton, Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Amy Pascal,
Co-Chairman of the studio, and Rob Stringer, Chairman of
Columbia/Epic Label Group, a subsidiary of Sony Music
Entertainment. The two companies serve as the entertainment arm of
Sony Corporation.
The rights to the exclusive footage were acquired from AEG and
The Estate of Michael Jackson. Sony Pictures and Sony Music will
co-produce with AEG and the Estate, and Sony Pictures will
distribute the film worldwide.
The majority of the film's footage was shot in June, 2009 at
Staples Center and the Forum in Los Angeles, California, as Jackson
prepared for "This Is It," the series of fifty concerts Jackson
planned to present at London's O2 Arena.
"This Is It TBD" will offer Jackson fans and music lovers
worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer, his
career, and the stage spectacular that would have been. Director
Kenny Ortega and Choreographer Travis Payne, will create an
unforgettable front row experience compiled from hundreds of hours
of footage that shows Jackson's meticulous preparation for his 2009
London shows. The film will also include footage that was shot in
3-D especially for O2 audiences.
Michael Jackson was completely committed to this show and he was
extraordinarily proud of what Kenny, Travis and the entire cast was
planning as they rehearsed for this event. We believe the
remarkable footage that was captured in the weeks and hours before
he left us show Michael at his finest. We couldnt be more
supportive of this motion picture as we believe it will provide his
fans worldwide with an opportunity to see the final performance of
a master entertainer, said John McClain, co-executor of the Estate
of Michael Jackson.
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"People who have seen this footage are astounded by the amazing
quality of Michael Jackson's performance," said Lynton. "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. We understand the importance of
producing a film that pays tribute to Michael as an artist, and are
honored to work with AEG, the Estate of Michael Jackson and Kenny
Ortega to give audiences the gift of his final performances. I know
this film will serve as further proof that Michael Jackson is one
of the greatest entertainers who ever graced a stage."
"Michael lives on through his songs, his creative genius, his
body of work and his passion for his art," said Stringer. "He was a
perfectionist on stage and through this unique film, audiences will
be able to see, many for the first time, how much Michael poured
into making his performances as special as they were perfect."
Added John Branca, executor of the Estate of Michael Jackson, we
feel completely confident that Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony
Music Entertainment are the right partners to help The Estate of
Michael Jackson present this film. Sony and Michael have a long and
mutually beneficial history together and its only fitting that the
relationship continue in this unique and special way.
Peter Schlessel, President of Worldwide Affairs negotiated for
the footage on behalf of the Sony Pictures. David Weil served as
chief negotiation on behalf of AEG. Branca represented The Estate
of Michael Jackson.
Michael Jackson, one of the most widely beloved entertainers and
profoundly influential artists of all-time, leaves an indelible
imprint on popular music and culture.
Five of Jackson's solo albums - "Off the Wall," "Thriller,"
"Bad," "Dangerous" and "HIStory," all with Epic Records, a Sony
Music label - are among the top-sellers of all time and Thriller
holds the distinction as the largest selling album worldwide in the
history of the recording industry with more than 70 million units
sold.
During his extraordinary career, he sold an estimated 750
million records worldwide, released 13 No.1 singles and became one
of a handful of artists to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Jackson
as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time and "Thriller" as
the Biggest Selling Album of All Time. Jackson won 13 Grammy Awards
and received the American Music Award's Artist of the Century
Award.
Michael Jackson started in the music business at the age of 11
with his brothers as a member of the Jackson 5. In the early 1980s,
he defined the art form of music video with such ground-breaking
videos as "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and the epic "Thriller."
Jackson's sound, style and dance moves inspired subsequent
generations of pop, soul, R&B and hip-hop artists.
Ortega Quote?
In the coming weeks, additional information about the upcoming
event will be available at www.sonypictures.com.
About Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony
Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony
Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture
production and distribution; television production and
distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide
channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and
distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new
entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution
of filmed entertainment in more than 130 countries. Sony Pictures
Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at
http://www.sonypictures.com
About Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with
a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both
local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a
vast catalog that comprises
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some of the most important recordings in history. It is home to
premier record labels representing music from every genre,
including American Recordings, Arista Nashville, Arista Records,
Aware, Battery Records, Beach Street Records, Black Seal, BNA
Records, Cinematic, Columbia Nashville, Columbia Records, Epic
Records, Essential Records, Flicker Records, Fo-Yo Soul,
GospoCentric, Hitz Committee Entertainment, J Records, Jive
Records, LaFace Records, Legacy Recordings, Masterworks, Polo
Grounds, RCA Records, RCA Nashville, RCA Red Seal, RCA Victor,
Reunion Records, Slightly Dangerous, Sony Classical, Sony Music
Latin, Star Time International, Verity Records, and Volcano
Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. For more information,
visit www.sonymusic.com
AEG BOILER HERE
