'This Is It' Director Ortega Pays Personal Tribute to King of Pop
as box office outcome tops charts
This Is It, a concert-documentary has taken in an approximate $101 million to date, making it the highest earning concert film in history.
The film captures Michael Jackson rehearsing for his global "resurrection" concert series before he tragically passed on June 25, 2009.
"This Is It" director Kenny Ortega grew quite kin with Jackson in 1990, commenting on Jackson's signature smell and how fans would wait in line for just an opportunity to get a whiff of it. When Ortega rejected a hug from Jackson after rehearsal, claiming he stunk, he recalls Jackson whipping out the familiar bottle of cologne and spraying it all over his sweaty body. "You smell like Michael," Jackson then said. Ortega also believed without Jackson's contribution to the music/dance industry with music videos such as "Thriller" and "Smooth Criminal," the cinematic musical industry would not be the same today.
After the film grossed over $21.3 million its opening weekend, Ortega responded by saying he is happy for Jackson. "I'm just glad that this filmeven though he didn't get to have that experiencehas in fact made him a movie star," he says.
