Less than a week after the trailer for the eagerly anticipated documentary "Michael Jackson's This Is It" debuted during the VMAs, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge has approved a deal to release a soundtrack to the film.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff approved a deal on Thursday afternoon that gives Jackson's longtime label home, Sony Music Entertainment, permission to release a CD to accompany the film, which chronicles Jackson's rehearsals for what was to be his comeback residency at the O2 arena in London.
"This Is It" is slated to open on October 28 and play in theaters for two weeks. The attorney for the administrators of Jackson's estate said that in order for the album to be completed on time, Sony has to begin work on it right away. There is no information on what songs might be included on the disc.
The release of the movie and CD could be a potential cash boon for the reportedly debt-ridden Jackson estate, which will reportedly give the singer's children and their grandmother, Katherine Jackson, more than $86,000 a month in living expenses from the estate.
According to CNN, court documents released on Thursday show that $60,000 a month will go to children Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11, and Prince Michael II, 7, for clothing, education and entertainment. Katherine Jackson will receive $26,804 a month to cover expenses. The largest portion of that money, $4,722, is for an assistant to the 79-year-old Jackson family matriarch, with $3,500 a month devoted to a clothing budget, $2,000 each for a housekeeper and driver, and $1,500 a month for entertainment allowances.
The detailed breakdown of the money devoted to the children is mostly redacted for their safety at their lawyer's request, but court documents show that the three will get $14,600 a month for the salaries and payroll taxes for the people who help take care of them. The children also get $13,260 a month for entertainment and related expenses. The court documents estimate that Jackson's estate is worth more than $500 million.
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