A film on the final weeks of Michael Jackson's life - as he prepared for his comeback tour - will open worldwide Oct. 28 and be in cinemas for two weeks, Sony Pictures announced Thursday. The movie, titled “This Is It,” was described as an “intimate portrait of Michael Jackson as you've never seen him before,” Sony said in a press release. In an unusual move, tickets for the movie will go on sale on September 27, more than a month before the movie is released. The release date was also moved up by two days. “This Is It” will show “a rare, behind-the-scenes look” at Jackson as he rehearsed between April and June for a series of concerts that were to start July 13 in London's O2 Arena. The movie's director is Kenny Ortega, best known for directing Disney's successful “High School Musical 3: Senior Year.” Meanwhile, Tito Jackson will play a series of concerts in Britain this year as a tribute to younger brother Michael, the “king of pop” who died suddenly in June. Tito, a member of The Jackson 5 along with Michael and their brothers Jermaine, Jackie and Marlon, will join Gladys Knight on what is being billed as her farewell British tour called “Midnight Train to Love.” A major tribute is instead being planned at Vienna's Schoenbrunn Palace on Sept. 26 under the stewardship of Jackson's brother Jermaine. Organizers said tickets for the Vienna event go on sale from 1500 GMT Thursday via the website www.tribute2009.com.
