Mind the pajama-clad court appearance and baby-over-balcony ordeal, Michael Jackson is still (?) the King of Pop and therefore, has the right to exhaust the genius that is Thriller—even if it has been over a quarter century since its original release. The 1982 album is still the best-selling of all time—not just in America, but worldwide. At over 100 million copies sold, the album spurred the release of the title track’s iconic 14-minute, Vincent Price-narrated, horror movie-spoof music video, that still catches on like wildfire at weddings, Bat Mitzvahs, and detention centers. Now, Thriller is going to Broadway.
James L. Nederlander, producer of the pending musical and head of the eponymous organization that owns nine Broadway theaters, recently got confirmation that the rights for making Thriller were acquired. The production is set to feature songs from the album (which also featured fan favorites “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and “P.Y.T.”), as well as Jackson’s 1979 Off the Wall. No director, casting or other details have been announced, but it’s been reported that Jackson will have a part in the remake of the typical “girl-meets-boy, they-fall-in-love, boy-turns-into-werewolf” stage story.
-Danielle Cheesman
