Michael Jackson's Thriller (music video) 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 a zombie and performs a dance routine with a horde of the undead. The video references numerous horror films. Jackson contacted Landis after seeing his film "An American Werewolf in London." The pair conceived a short
Michael Jackson's Thriller (music video) zombies who attended rehearsals at nearby Mecca Live Studio in the weeks leading up to the parade. Lexington’s annual Thriller Parade attracts around 20,000 spectators and features multiple actors playing the role of Michael Jackson. In 2011, the red jacket worn by Jackson in the video was auctioned for $1.8 million. A Hollywood production company attempted to turn Jackson's song "Billie Jean", which is also featured on Jackson's "Thriller" album, into a feature film, but no plans were completed. In 2009, Jackson sold the "Thriller" rights to the Nederlander Organization to stage a Broadway musical based on the video. "Thriller"