Michael Jackson film earns over $100 mn

Michael Jackson's movie This Is It has grossed $101 million in its first five days in cinemas around the world, according to preliminary studio estimates issued Sunday.

Sony, the studio that paid $60 million for rights to the film, announced over the weekend that the originally planned two-week run would be extended in the US through the four-day Thanksgiving weekend, a lucrative holiday for Hollywood Advertisement

Michael Jackson Earned $90 million after Death

Late pop legend Michael Jackson has earned $90 million since his death.

The singer, who died on June 25, came third in Forbes.com's annual top earning dead celebrities list with a huge financial haul, reported femalefirst.co.uk.

Jackson earned enormous sum from radio play, royalties from album sales, rights to his name and royalties from his stake in the Sony/ATV music catalogue.

Since Jackson's death, there have also been numerous sales of memorabilia, iconic outfits and even a lock of his hair.

Elvis Presley dropped down from first position last year to fourth this time with earnings of $55 million. Advertisement

Michael Jackson fans dance to set new world record

Around 6,000 Michael Jackson fans in Los Angeles and more around the world attempted to break the world record for having the most people simultaneously dance to Thriller.

The so-called Thrill the World dance-a-thon was organised by various Jackson fan clubs in Los Angeles, New York, Washington DC and other places worldwide on October 25, 2009.

The current record was set by 13,597 people in Mexico City, on what would have been Jackson's 51st birthday.

Performers included children, teachers, and university students. They came dressed in body paint, blood-spattered wedding dresses, prison garb, and as ghouls.

The global event was ostensibly launched in Vancouver, but started at the same place around the world, according to a clock on a conference call by organizers.

The dance party in Buenos Aires brought together adults, teenagers and children, who were not even born when Thriller first hit the record stores.

In France, some 60 people aged from 11 to 73 signed up to take part in the Thriller dance extravaganza in the western village of Gourin. Advertisement

Why Madonna wanted to jump off a building?

The 4 Minutes singer admitted only her hectic work schedule and world tour helped her through a “challenging” 12 months which saw her marriage to the British film director end and courts initially block her application to adopt four-year-old Malawian girl Mercy.

She told Rolling Stone magazine: “It was certainly a challenging year. I may have thrown myself off a building. I think work saved me and I’m very grateful I had work to do.”

Madonna filed for divorce in October 2008, and it was finalised in December. She was left stunned when after initially accepting her adoption bid for Mercy to join her family – daughter Lourdes, 13, and sons Rocco, nine, and four-year-old David, who she also adopted from Malawi - a court rejected her request in April 2009 because she hadn’t been a resident in Malawi for at least 18 months. She appealed the decision and was granted permission to adopt Mercy in June.

During the period of changes, the star was also performing on her ‘Sticky and Sweet’ world tour, which began in August 2008 and ran until last month.

Despite getting older, the 51-year-old star has vowed not to tone down her live shows in future as she would get “bored” if she scaled back her tricky song-and-dance routines.

She said: “People have told me, ‘You could just go out there and play guitar and sing your songs like Paul McCartney’ but I’d be bored. “Most of the joy of shows is the magic of creating them – the theatre. I’m a perfectionist. I like hard work. I like to sweat.” Advertisement

New Michael Jackson single debuts online

Michael Jackson has returned to the airwaves with a new song — the first from an upcoming documentary on the troubled superstar. Michael Jackson

It is the first new song by Jackson to be released since his sudden death in Los Angeles on June 25.

The singer, who had not released new material in years, sounds confident in the song, which features his trademark vocal style with lush backing vocals by his brothers, the Jacksons. It is a mid-tempo number with orchestral backing played during the closing sequences of the documentary, which opens on October 28 for a limited two-week run.

"This is it," goes one verse. "Here I stand. The light of the world. I feel grand." The song will also be part of a two-disc CD set that will accompany the movie in what is expected to be a worldwide marketing blitz.

The documentary features footage of Jackson rehearsing for his planned London concerts, which were to mark his return to the stage after a lengthy absence caused in part by a series of legal and personal problems. Advertisement

Madonna Turns Journalist to Write about religion

Queen of Pop’ Madonna has turned journalist for Israel's biggest-selling newspaper.

The 50-year-old pop star's article on her conversion to the Jewish cult of Kaballah has been displayed prominently on the front page of Yediot Ahronot with a byline.

The article titled 'How My Life Changed' was translated into Hebrew by the paper and an excerpt of it was published on Wednesday while the full article will be published on Friday.

In her article, the singer describes her religious awakening more than a decade ago.

Madonna who was born a Christian had alienated the Church with her antics including her many sexually explicit stage shows where she had appeared crucified.

She is an astute follower of Kaballah and has adopted the Hebrew name of Esther and studies Jewish mysticism.

The singer had also made a private pilgrimage to Israel in 2004 and will perform in two shows in the country in September as part of her 'Sticky & Sweet' international tour. Advertisement