Michael Jackson's Thriller (music video) to him in 1997. However, Ray did sue Jackson on May 6, 2009 in a dispute to obtain uncollected royalties. less than two months before Jackson's death on June 25. Eventually the Jackson Family Trust settled. Michael Jackson's Thriller (music video) Michael Jackson's Thriller is a music video for the Michael Jackson song "Thriller". It was directed by John Landis and written by Landis and Jackson. It was released on December 2, 1983, by Columbia Pictures. In the video, Jackson and his girlfriend (played by Ola Ray) are confronted by zombies while walking home from a movie theater. Jackson becomes
Michael Jackson's Thriller (music video) to destroy the "Thriller" negatives. Jackson, who was a Jehovah's Witness, had been told by church leaders that the video promoted demonology and he would be excommunicated. The production team agreed to protect the negatives and locked them in Branca's office. Branca mollified Jackson by suggesting they include a disclaimer at the start of the film stating that it did not reflect Jackson's personal convictions. The "Thriller" video makes many allusions to horror films. The opening scene parodies 1950s B-movie films, with Jackson and Ray dressed as 1950s teenagers. The metamorphosis of the polite "boy next door" into a werecat