Studios Compete For Film Rights
According to news reports immediately following Michael’s death on June 25th, AEG executives at Staples Center secured the concert rehearsal footage that Michael had done there.
Randy Phillips himself boasted that he had one hundred hours of rehearsal footage that “could be turned into live albums, a movie and a pay-for-view special. He said that both AEG and Michael’s estate would get the “lion’s share” of the profits.
The recordings were reportedly “great,” with the last day on Wednesday being the “best,” and all of them, “enough for a show,”
The footage reportedly includes production meetings and auditions also behind-the-scenes footage showing Michael and his dancers and Michael going from room to room supervising the rehearsals.
AEG is reportedly auctioning off the film rights to the concert film with Sony, Universal and Fox said to be interested.
The bidding was said to have begun at $50million.
Source: M3 Radio & MJWN