Some people really are worth more dead than alive. That’s certainly proving to be the case with Michael Jackson. Just in time for Halloween, it’s been announced that his dream project Thriller will finally get the big screen treatment.
As originally reported by Deadline Hollywood on Tuesday, Academy Award-winning producer Graham King’s GK Films is negotiating to bring the landmark 1983 music video/short-film, which helped alter the way music videos were made, to the big screen, a longtime dream of Jackson’s. Reportedly both This Is It director Kenny Ortega and The Hangover screenwriter Jeremy Garelick are attached.
Ortega was behind This Is It, a film that most critics agreed honored Jackson’s legacy well. A choreographer-turned-director, Ortega worked closely with Jackson on both his Dangerous and HIStory world tours so he, more than anyone else in film, is probably aware of what the King of Pop actually wanted. After all, it’s more than likely that he and MJ discussed the prospect of Thriller movie at some point. With other solid directing credits under his belt like the High School Musical franchise and a 1993 witch-themed film Hocus Pocus, Ortega seems like a solid choice to helm this project. There’s no denying that he will have to be involved, especially since any big screen Thriller film will walk a fine line between horror and music, much like the original. It has to be musically sound but scary as well.
WATCH MICHAEL JACKSON’S ‘THRILLER’ HERE
Costumers and set designers will be extremely important. Of course, Jackson would want to work with the best. Unfortunately a reported budget south of $50 million doesn’t lend itself to that caliber. Instead Thriller may need to sniff around the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings coffers to tap a talent in need of a break. An even better choice might be the creative team behind former HBO series Carnivale. The look there was phenomenal and it was slightly more contemporary too, although it was set in the early 20th century. There was an overall stylish appeal to it, which is most important.
While Ortega will want to lead the choreography, it might be wise to bring in Fatima Robinson to handle the main duties. Robinson has worked with a lot of films, including Public Enemies, Dreamgirls, Miami Vice and Romeo Must Die so she has both the talent and the experience to make it work. For the music part, Kanye West absolutely has to be involved. Perhaps this is a great opportunity for him to score a film. People are already raving about Runaway, his short film, and, considering the high esteem in which he holds Michael Jackson, he would certainly give his all.
As to who will play the title role? That will be a hard one. Very few artists can pull off acting, dancing and singing. Also, should the person in the title role be very young or slightly more seasoned in his early 30s? Even though Thriller never took itself very seriously, there does need to be a level of believability as well as an element of horror so the acting has to be solid. Jackson would want the audience to be scared. The only problem is the lead character would have to look innocent but be able to go there too. Out of Hollywood’s current crop, there are few who have the whole package so a newcomer would be best, preferably from Broadway where singing, dancing and acting is the norm.
Hollywood requires some star recognition so cameos by Twilight stars may work. Christopher Walken definitely needs to be on the list. Not only is he a great actor but his mere presence is eerie. Including actors who worked with Jackson like Wesley Snipes, who appeared in Bad, would work too. Hopefully people would forgo money to help Jackson’s Thriller dreams come true. As for veteran, less well-known African-American actors, there has to be a role for Eamonn Walker, who scorched a hole through the screen as Howlin’ Wolf in Cadillac Records. And, yes, Ruby Dee has to play a gypsy woman or something along those lines.
The reported screenwriter is totally wrong though. Yes The Hangover was cool but, for Thriller, given its musical pedigree, maybe a story that kind of dabbles with the Robert Johnson lore of selling his soul to the devil may have a place here. Of course the lyrics of the song itself are the biggest blueprint. There has to be a thing with forty eyes as well as plenty of vampires and zombies. Michael Jackson would have wanted a love triangle, especially given the song’s romantic undertones. In the video, Jackson had Ola Ray attention but, for the film, a more dramatic storyline where the anti-hero competes for her attention against another as well as against his darker, sinister self would work.
Perhaps Zoë Kravitz could play the female lead. After all, she has the musical pedigree plus she can be both innocent and dark and, equally important, she’s the right age for a breakout Hollywood performance.
If Thriller does get the green light, it won’t be easy. The Jackson estate will have to be involved and that might be a horror movie in the making, unless Janet Jackson takes the lead. As arguably Michael Jackson’s closest sibling and someone who has appeared on both the small and big screen, Janet, who probably talked with Michael Jackson about the big screen Thriller, would hopefully have the right sensibility to discern the necessary from the exploitative.
While arguments will unlikely ensue, if the spirit of Michael Jackson reigns true, the big screen version of Thriller may indeed turn out to be a memorable classic.
Unfortunately, Vegas odds will be highly against that outcome. With so many cooks in the Michael Jackson afterlife kitchen, the miracle will be the movie making it to the screen in the first place.
