AceShowbiz -

"This Is It", the movie documenting Michael Jackson's final performance rehearsals days before his death, will come out in theaters across the U.S. earlier than what has been planned before. On Thursday, August 20, Sony made the announcement that the release date for the film has been advanced from the original date on October 30 to a new slot on October 28.

Sony also made public that the movie will be released in a limited two-week theatrical engagement worldwide. And, in anticipation of huge demand for the movie, the studio revealed that tickets will be made available for purchase on September 27, more than a month before the official release of the movie, which is directed by Jackson's longtime collaborator Kenny Ortega.

"As we began assembling the footage for the motion picture we realized we captured something extraordinary, unique and very special," Ortega promised on what the fans will get to see. "For the first time ever, fans will see Michael as they have never seen him before - this great artist at work. It is raw, emotional, moving and powerful footage that captures his interactions with the 'This Is It' collaborators that he had personally assembled for this once in a lifetime project."

"This Is It" offers a behind-the-scenes footage of Jackson preparing for a series of the O2 London shows he was rehearsing when he died June 25. It will compile more than 100 hours of video footage concert promoter AEG Live shot during April, May and June 2009. Reuters claimed that a source close to the project has mentioned the planned 3-D sequence for the movie will not make it into the final reel.

Weeks following Jackson's death, AEG Live and co-executors of Jackson's estate reached a deal with Sony to make and release the movie. The studio was reported to have acquired the footage for as much as $60 million, from a bidding that was started at $50 million. On Monday, August 10, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff has approved the deal to allow the production of the feature film.