Last week, we here at Screen Rant, along with many of you readers, were up in arms over reports that director Kenny Ortega (High School Musical) was in the process of adapting the music video for Michael Jackson’s Thriller into a feature-length film. “Is nothing sacred?” we screamed to the heavens while shaking our one-gloved fist. “Does Hollywood know no depths?”
It would appear now, however, that we all need to take two giant moonwalk steps backward. According to an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ortega says that the film is in “very, very early stages of development” and he hasn’t even “really had a chance to think about it too much.”
The original Deadline report made it seem like the Thriller film was imminent. In the EW article, however, Ortega clarifies that there are several hurdles to getting the movie made and that all of the talks are in the early stages.
“The [Michael Jackson] estate would have to sign off on it. I have been a part of some early creative meetings and if all goes well, I think it could happen in the next couple of years.”
For those who still think that making a Thriller movie at all is sacrilege, Ortega also made sure to point out his close relationship with Michael Jackson and his strong personal desire to keep the King of Pop’s legacy pure.
“We were very good friends. I miss him. And I would never do anything to ruin his memory or one of his creations. But like I said, it is so early, so who knows what will materialize?”
Most of us are tired of Hollywood churning out remakes, reboots, and sequels galore, but I think we may have been too rash in our denunciation of this movie. Yes, Thriller was a transcendent music video by one of the greatest entertainers of all time, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that a movie version would be terrible by comparison, right?
Of course, I may be giving Ortega a pass since he directed one of my favorite random movies of all time, Newsies. Who doesn’t love watching a 17-year-old, pre-Batman Christian Bale dance and sing with a goofy New York accent?
Anyway, we’ll have more news on Thriller as we get it. In the meantime, feel free to discuss Ortega’s update in the comments.
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Ah, Newsies! One of my all time faves! I was just saying to my husband the other day that they should do a movie based on the Thriller video. Just think it would be kinda cool, and Kenny Ortega would be just the man to trust to do it right!
It’s still blasphoemy. If he were actually friends with him, he’d leave this alone….
I can personally care less about Jackson’s legacy… that being said, this seems to me to be an obvious choice by studios since zombies are now the new vampire; Thriller would be one of the few known quantities with zombies at its core to draw in audiences (ala remake). Of late, it would seem the Jackson estate is all about making more money, so this will most likely happen.
Blasphemy? Hardly…
Milking a dead cow for the last few drops? Certainly…
Completelly pointless? Ya betcha