'Cause This Is... Legal' Landis Sues Jackson Over THRILLER Royalties

Acclaimed Hollywood director John Landis, who co-wrote and shot the 1983 Michael Jackson Thriller music video, filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Jackson in Los Angeles Superior Court on January 21st, just days five days before James L. Nederlander announced he had bought the rights to adapt the video for the Broadway stage.

The 14-minute Thriller video, a tribute to the classic Universal monster classics and featuring dancing zombies, was first aired in 1983 and remains one of the most influential music videos ever worldwide. Landis also made a documentary about the making of the Thriller video, a first for that kind of project.

Landis, whose hit films include Animal House, Trading Places, An American Werewolf in London and The Blues Brothers among many others, said in his lawsuit that he had not received his 50 per cent share of the profits from Thriller, including licensing rights for at least the past four years from Jackson's now-shuttered Optimum Productions.

Jackson, 50, is accused in the lawsuit of "fraudulent, malicious and oppressive conduct," claiming that the star had failed to produce full and proper accounts for the past four years "and earlier".

Landis also contends that Jackson had no right to negotiate a deal to make a Broadway musical of "Thriller," without his consent. 

Reps for Michael Jackson did not return calls on the lawsuit.

It was announced on Monday January 26th that James L. Nederlander, President of the Nederlander Organization, had acquired the rights to produce a musical version of Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

Thriller The Musical will feature the music and lyrics of the King of Pop and include songs from the world's all-time best selling album, "Thriller" and the 7× Multi-Platinum selling album, "Off The Wall."

This musical will be the exclusive Michael Jackson authorized version of "Thriller" and Jackson will participate in every aspect of the creative process.

Thriller Live!, "a spectacular, high-octane show"  is currently moonwalking in the West End after three acclaimed UK tours and standing ovations across Germany, Holland and Scandanavia. Unlike the Broadway based Thriller concept, Thriller Live! is more a tribute review than a actual adaptation of the original horror flavored Jackson video. To read a UK Guardian article on the West End Thriller Live! production click here.

Thriller - Live was originally conceived and created by Executive Director of the show, AdrIan Grant, a long time associate of Michael Jackson, and author of 'Michael Jackson - The Visual Documentary'.

In a phenomenal, unparallelled career, Michael Jackson has to date sold more than 750 million records, had 13 number one singles - more than any other male artist - and is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice; once as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1997 and later as a solo artist in 2001. His numerous other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records, including one for "Thriller" as the world's best-selling album of all time - 100 million copies and counting. In Thriller - Live, the non-stop hits just keep on coming from "I Want You Back", "I'll Be There", "Show You The Way To Go", "Can You Feel It", "Rock With You", "She's Out Of My Life", "Thriller", "Beat It", "Ben", "ABC", "Man in the Mirror", "Dirty Diana", "Billie Jean", "Earth Song", and many, many more.

 

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