Thriller' Movie in the Works

The Michael Jackson documentary This Is It shattered box-office records for concert films. Now, a movie based on Jackson's "Thriller" video is reportedly being shopped around to Hollywood studios, Deadline reports.

Like the planned film inspired by the music of Beach Boys, which isn"t about the band itself, the Thriller movie will take a meta approach, focusing on "folklore" around "Thriller," looking at Vincent Price, the horror actor who narrated the video, and the town that Price grew up in.

Michael Jackson: The Rolling Stone Covers

GK Films, which has other music-related films in the works (Sacha Baron Cohen's Freddie Mercury biopic and the Jersey Boys big screen adaptation), is reportedly to be first in line for the project, which will be helmed by This Is It director and Jackson collaborator Kenny Ortega, based on a script by (uncredited) Hangover writer Jeremy Garelick. "Thriller" songwriter Rod Templeton will also be involved.

The film will have a budget of about $50 million, but that doesn't include what will likely be a hefty price to secure the rights to "Thriller" from the Michael Jackson estate. For Jackson fans hoping for a iopic, there is some good news: Deadline writes that Hollywood vet Ivan Reitman has his eyes on a film based on Jackson's early years.

This week Jackson was named the past year"s top-earning dead celebrity by Forbes magazine.

Michael Jackson's life in photos

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Song Stories

“Youth Knows No Pain”

Lykke Li | 2011

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”

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