Michael Jackson fans and colleagues say ‘This Is It’ marks bittersweet but triumphant tribute

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Jackson fans, friends congregate for ‘This Is It’

LOS ANGELES — The mood was bittersweet yet triumphant Tuesday night as fans, friends and colleagues of the late Michael Jackson attended the premiere for what would be his final bow — a music extravaganza that captures rehearsals for his aborted concert stand last summer.

From evening and midnight screenings in North America to middle-of-the-night and morning showings in Europe, Asia and elsewhere, “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” arrived simultaneously worldwide in the biggest cinematic blowout ever for a music film.

At the Los Angeles premiere near the arena where much of Jackson’s rehearsal footage was shot, celebrities attending included Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez, Paris Hilton, Neil Patrick Harris, Katy Perry, Adam Lambert, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr.

“This Is It” director Kenny Ortega, a longtime Jackson collaborator, wiped away tears and greeted dancers and celebrity guests including Paula Abdul with hugs.

Ortega said he expected audiences would be most surprised by “the intimacy. It’s unguarded and raw and real, and Michael is there and available to us all, and lovely and kind.”

Michael Bearden, musical director and associate producer of filmmaker Kenny Ortega’s “This Is It,” said that making the film was the most “bittersweet” project of his career, but he was happy “the world will see (Jackson’s) triumph.”

“I know he would have liked it,” Bearden said. “Kenny Ortega and I, we considered Michael in every aspect of the movie. We were with him every day for the last three or four months of his life at least, so we know he would have liked what we did.”

“It’s showing what a perfectionist he was,” said Jackson’s brother Jermaine.

Jackson backup dancer Misha Gabriel said the film is “such an honest and raw look at the creative process that at times it makes me think that maybe he wouldn’t want people to see so much of the creative process before it was finalized. But I think that’s the beauty of the film.”

“It’s Michael becoming great, perfecting his perfection, if that makes sense,” said fellow dancer Nick Bass.

Opening in 99 countries Tuesday and Wednesday, the film expands to 110 territories by this weekend, with distributor Sony putting 15,000 prints of “This Is It” into circulation. The studio paid $60 million for the film rights.

“I was tossing and turning with nervous feelings all night. Michael Jackson is a hero in my life, and I cannot wait to see the final shot of Michael,” said Noh Kyeong-ae, a 34 year-old accountant, sobbing at a movie theater in Seoul, South Korea.

“All the genres of Korean music history are basically all influenced by Michael Jackson. This is such a meaningful time for me to watch the movie of a person in the century,” said Lee In-kyu, 29, an office worker in Seoul who took a day off to watch the film.

The simultaneous showings around the globe were anchored by a star-studded premiere at the Nokia Theatre, a concert venue across the street from Staples Center, where many of Jackson’s rehearsals — and his high-profile public memorial — were held.

The plaza in front of the Nokia Theatre was transformed into an elegant red-carpet arrivals area, with a dozen crystal chandeliers, displays of Jackson’s past costumes and “This Is It” spelled out in giant letters.

Jackson memorabilia was on sale inside, from T-shirts proclaiming “I Love MJ” to key rings reading “King of Pop.”

A few lucky fans won seats along the red carpet, while others filled the surrounding area, cameras in hand. Jackson’s hits played on a loudspeaker.

Johnny Kuhn of San Pedro, Calif., won tickets to the premiere and came downtown early with his wife and two sons to take in the scene. He said he expected “This Is It” would be “happy and sad.”

“We’ve lost a legend,” Kuhn said.

Many fans waited in line for days to buy tickets for advance screenings of “This Is It” at the new Regal Cinemas on site, which was showing the film to sold-out audiences for its grand opening Tuesday on all 14 of its screens.

“For that to be our first movie … the energy and excitement in the auditorium tonight is going to be phenomenal,” said Russ Nunley, spokesman for Regal Entertainment Group.

Some of Jackson’s family members and friends saw “This Is It” in advance. Elizabeth Taylor, a longtime friend of the pop star, posted her thoughts Monday on Twitter.

“It is the single most brilliant piece of filmmaking I have ever seen,” she wrote on the micro-blogging site. “It cements forever Michael’s genius in every aspect of creativity.”

The 77-year-old actress added that she “wept from pure joy at his God-given gift” and urged her fans to see the film “again and again.”

Clocking in at one hour, 51 minutes, the film was culled from more than 100 hours of rehearsal footage for the “This Is It” concert run in London that Jackson had planned before his death June 25. Director Ortega said his editing choices were guided by what Jackson would have wanted and what fans were most curious about.

“We went in there to make a film for the fans,” Ortega said. “To help them understand what it was — what Michael’s dream was for ‘This Is It.’ So that guided us and helped us make our choices. … This is for them. This is for the fans.”

Entertainment Writer Ryan Pearson in Los Angeles and AP Writer Soo Bin Park in Seoul contributed to this report.