One of the most iconic (if not the most iconic) music videos of all time is getting a massive revamp!
John Landis, who directed the 1983 Michael Jackson short film Thriller, told The New York Daily News that he plans to helm a 3D reboot of the mega-hit. He adds that the new video is expected to be released in 2015 and could even air in theaters.
"It is going to reappear in a highly polished and three-dimensional way that is very exciting on the big screen," he was quoted as saying.
The "Thriller" 3D reboot was greenlit after Landis, video producer George Folsey Jr. and the late King of Pop's estate settled a legal dispute over it in 2012. The terms of the settlement, which the singer's reps called "amicable," were not disclosed.
Michael Jackson "Thriller"
Landis also directed Jackson's 1991 music video "Black or White," as well as popular '80s films such as Coming to America, Trading Places, ¡Three Amigos! and An American Werewolf in London.
Jackson has already been seen in 3D on the big screen, in Disney's sci-fi-themed Captain EO ride, which features a short film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and was produced by Star Wars creator George Lucas. The "4D" attraction opened in Disneyland in California in 1986 and closed in 1997. In February 2010, more than seven months after Jackson's death at age 50, it was brought back, under the name Captain EO Tribute. The ride is also located at Walt Disney World in Florida.
The horror-themed "Thriller" video, which runs almost 14 minutes long, is considered one of the most memorable and influential music clips in pop culture history, incorporating special effects and Jackson's trademark dance moves. It also featured a now-iconic group dance routine that has been spoofed in the Jennifer Garner romantic comedy film 13 Going on 30 and even by inmates in a prison in the Philippines.
In December 2009, six months after Jackson died, "Thriller" was inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, which chooses films that are "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant." It marked the first time a music video received such an honor. "Thriller" joined 24 big screen movies such as Dog Day Afternoon, Once Upon a Time in the West and The Muppet Movie, which was released in 1979.
In 2011, the iconic red and black leather jacket Jackson wore in "Thriller" was auctioned off for $1.8 million.
The song "Thriller" is featured on the pop star's 1982 album of the same name, which remains the highest-selling record of all time.
—Additional reporting by Claudia Rosenbaum