Word: ortega
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...cities around the globe. (Sony took over all 13 auditoriums of the Regal E-Walk Theater on New York City's 42nd Street to show the movie to 3,200 invitees.) Many of the venues had a satellite feed from the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, where director Kenny Ortega, who had also been in charge of the planned concert, greeted surviving Jackson brothers Jermaine, Marlon, Tito and Jackie. (See TIME's video "Michael Jackson and the Big Screen Directors...
...says Paul Dergarabedian, a box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "People want to have peace of mind that they will not be turned away." The question remains, though, whether an audience exists beyond the first weekend's rush of fans. "There are a lot of unknowns," admits director-choreographer Kenny Ortega. "There's been a quick response by the diehards, the people who cannot miss the film. But it's not for sure if there's anyone beyond Michael's fan base who will make up an audience for something like this." (Read a Q&A with Kenny Ortega...
...while people are still talking about it, while it's still a phenomenon. It will only diminish." Although the frenzy over Jackson's death has abated, there was a clear mandate to honor - some might say tap into - the international outpouring of grief. "It's not about exploiting," Ortega says. "Every corner of this planet, people were reaching out saying, 'Show us something.' " Ortega was originally asked to edit the 120 hours of mixed rehearsal film for a release around Jackson's birthday in August. He declined, and the mutual decision was for an October release...
...Mystery Factor The movie is one of the great secrets in Hollywood. Only a select group of insiders and family members has seen it, and certainly no critics have. Ortega chalks this up to Jackson's need for opening-night magic. "It was always, Don't ruin the secrets, don't ruin the surprises," says Ortega. "Michael always protected that." Gaydos believes the movie is "review-proof." "What are they going to say - that the film is out of focus, that they don't like the music?" he asks. "I don't think anyone thinks it's going...
That said, one obvious hurdle the film faces is that it's a concert film with no concertgoers - just 18,000 silent seats. That's a whole lot less boisterous than the normal adrenaline-fueled arena chaos. It could be a point of strength: Ortega insists there "is something quite special" about the fact that there is an "emptiness where there would have been a roar of applause." But as a viewing experience, it will doubtless take some getting used to. (See the last pictures of Michael Jackson...