VIA EUR:

A judge on Friday approved a deal between Michael Jackson’s estate, concert promoter AEG Live and Columbia Pictures to release a film comprised of footage from rehearsals for his scheduled London concerts.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff announced the ruling Monday during a hearing where a separate merchandising deal was being considered, reports Reuters.

AEG Live has said it has more than 100 hours of footage of preparations and rehearsals for the shows. A proposed contract states the film could also include videos prepared for display during the “This is It” shows.

Under the terms of the proposed contract, the film will have to be screened for Jackson’s estate and cannot include any footage that puts the King of Pop in a bad light. A final cut of the film is due by late October. A release date has not been issued.

VIA EUR:

All kinds of Michael Jackson products – including cell phones and X-Box add-ons – could be coming down the pipeline if a judge signs off on a merchandising deal, reports the Associated Press.

The current administrators of the singer’s estate have presented several proposed contracts to a probate judge for approval. The agreements offer a taste of how the King of Pop may be sold in the coming months and years.

Trading cards, T-shirts, calendars, lighters, stuffed animals that play Jackson’s music and games are among the tangible items being considered. So too are denim products and high-end clothing lines, according to the filings.

But Jackson seems destined to try to conquer the digital domain too. Some of the possible products include cell phone screen savers, X-Box themes, video games and digital tattoos for characters in games such as “Second Life.”

The proposed deals are between Jackson’s estate, concert promoter AEG Live and Bravado International Group Merchandising Services. The contract calls for Bravado, which is Universal Music Group’s retailing arm, to receive worldwide merchandise rights. AEG Live will retain rights to sell certain merchandise related to Jackson’s canceled London performances, the agreements state.

As previously reported, a separate agreement is being pursued between the estate’s administrators and Columbia Pictures for a feature length movie based on footage of Jackson’s preparations for his 50 comeback concerts in London. The studio paid $60 million for the rights to the project, the contract filed in Los Angeles Superior Court states. Jackson’s estate — which primarily benefits his mother and three children — would receive 90 percent of the profits from the film, according to the agreement. A judge has scheduled a hearing for Monday to consider the proposals.

Attorneys for the current administrators of his estate, attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain, have stated in court records that they believe Jackson’s estate is solvent. One of the men’s attorneys, Jeryll S. Cohen, wrote in a court filing on Friday that the merchandising and film and other entertainment agreements are expected to generate “advances in the high eight figures.”

Negotiations for other deals are also in the works, Cohen wrote. The administrators have the authority to combat unauthorized merchandise, and the deals provide Bravado with access to the use of Jackson’s name, image, symbols, emblems and other trademarks. Jackson’s estate would have input into which products are ultimately manufactured, the proposed agreements state.

An amendment to an agreement between Jackson’s estate and AEG Live allows for a traveling exhibit of the performer’s memorabilia. Exact details of the exhibit were redacted, but it calls for the displays to be shown only at museums or venues that both sides agree on. If approved, the agreements would continue a trend that Jackson seemed to be pursuing in his final months — marketing products based on his days of superstar status.

A lawsuit filed in January by “Thriller” director John Landis accused Jackson of trying to turn the groundbreaking 14-minute music video into comic books and video games. The director also sued over a proposed Broadway show based on “Thriller.” Landis owns some of the creative rights to the project and didn’t grant approval to the ventures Jackson was apparently pursuing.

The King of Pop’s final images of him alive will be of him on stage, as it should be. AEG Live, the company behind Michael Jackson’s 50-concert tour, released footage of MJ and crew rehearsing for the epic show. The video shows Mike performing “They Don’t Care About Us” and he still looks like the greatest performer on Earth. It seems like we missed out on what would’ve been one hell of a show. The footage was shot a couple of days before his death.

The tour’s investors seem to have made the behind-the-scenes a full scale production with multiple camera shots and everything. And since they also have to recoup the hundreds of  millions of dollars they lost on a tour that won’t be happening don’t be surprised if you see this footage in theaters in it’s entirety sometime soon.

Michael’s memorial is set to take place on Tuesday at the Staples Center Los Angeles.

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