Michael Jackson's Thriller set for big-screen resurrection

Hollywood studios are set to fight it out for the chance to produce a new film based on Michael Jackson's groundbreaking Thriller video and song . Kenny Ortega, the High School Musical director who oversaw plans for Jackson's ill-fated comeback tour and the film that chronicled rehearsals for it, This Is It, is in line to take charge of the cameras. Thriller's famous video, in which Jackson leads a horde of zombies in a frenetic, deathly dance, was famously shot by John Landis, who had perfected the special effects work on his Oscar-winning 1982 horror An American Werewolf in London a year earlier. Jackson had become enraptured by the film and engaged Landis to shoot a 14-minute promo, which is often considered the greatest pop music video of all time. It is also the best-selling example of the form, according to the Guinness World Records, having shifted more than 9m units. According to Deadline, the film version might focus on the character played in the original video by horror legend Vincent Price, who provided the narration and a rap. The Hangover's Jeremy Garelick is writing the screenplay; Thriller songwriter Rod Temperton is also involved. Studios including Summit, makers of the Twilight series, Lionsgate and Twentieth Century Fox are reportedly interested in buying the rights package for the film.