Jacko rehearsal footage may be movie

LOS ANGELES, July 20 (UPI) -- Eighty hours of footage from Michael Jackson's Los Angeles concert rehearsals, shot shortly before his death, may be edited into a movie, sources told Variety.

Sony Pictures Entertainment reportedly is in talks with AEG Entertainment about buying the rights to rehearsal footage shot by director Kenny Ortega, as well as several videos intended to be interstitial programming for the 50-date comeback concert series Jackson and AEG had planned in London before the singer died June 25. Jackson's residency at the O2 arena was supposed to have started last week.

Variety.com said Sony may pay more than $50 million for the worldwide rights to turn AEG Entertainment's package of video footage into a feature film about the eccentric entertainer's last days.

Ortega, who was helming Jackson's stage show, is expected to direct the movie about the pop icon, the entertainment industry trade newspaper said.