Michael Jackson sued by Thriller video director

Michael Jackson is unlikely to be thrilled by the latest turn of events.
Michael Jackson is unlikely to be thrilled by the latest turn of events.

Michael Jackson is being sued by John Landis, the man who directed his Thriller video, with the filmmaker claiming that he hasn't been paid his share of the royalties from the legendary promo for the past four years.

Landis' suit claims that he and Jackson agreed in 1983 that he would get 50% of the net profits from the video and its accompanying documentary. However, he says that the singer has been in breach of this agreement since at least 2005.

The complaint was apparently filed last week, and accuses Jackson and his associates of "fraudulent, malicious and oppressive conduct".

Details of the lawsuit come just days after it emerged that Jackson is planning a stage version of Thriller. It's not yet clear whether this is more than a coincidence.

Jackson and his team have yet to respond.

(Via Idolator)

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.