This Is It was a planned concert residency by American singer Michael Jackson, scheduled to take place at the O2 Arena in London, England, between July 13, 2009, and March 6, 2010.

In preparation for the concert series, Jackson had collaborated with figures including fashion designer Christian Audigier, choreographer Kenny Ortega and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno.

Prior to his death, Allgood Entertainment sued him for $40 million, claiming that he had breached an exclusivity agreement by agreeing to the This Is It concerts; the case was dismissed.

The cancelled shows, record-breaking ticket sales[1][2][3] and potential for a world tour[4][5] led to This Is It being described as "the greatest concert[s] that never happened".

[6][7] Columbia Pictures acquired the footage of the rehearsals and released a documentary film, Michael Jackson's This Is It, accompanied by a soundtrack album.

The statement promised "an explosive return with a band of the highest calibre, a state-of-the-art stage show and incredible surprise support acts".

Reports circulated that he was facing financial problems; he had closed his Neverland Ranch residence and auctioned more than 2,000 possessions.

[9] The Independent reported that "for a man who has been absent for 10 years from the stage, after a messy court battle to shake off the paedophilia charges, a reputed cash crisis and the loss of his ranch, Michael Jackson looked surprisingly rehabilitated".

Further promotion took up an entire commercial break period on ITV London during Dancing on Ice, the first time this has ever happened for a musical artist.

[16] The Guardian characterized the concerts as an "astonishing comeback for a man who in recent years has been dogged by controversy", adding that Jackson still had "enormous commercial clout".

[17] The Evening Standard stated that the deal was the "showbiz coup of the decade" for AEG Live, while The Independent remarked that the finalized 50 concerts would provide London with a "much-needed" economic boost.

[18][19] Joe Cohen, chief executive of Seatwave, told BBC 6 Music that the shows would generate £1 billion for the economy.

[23] In the space of 24 hours, nearly a million people from around the world registered for pre-sale tickets, enough to fill the venue 50 times over.

According to Jackson's website, the following records were or would have been broken: "The biggest audience ever to see an artist in one city", "The greatest number of people to attend a series of arena shows", "The fastest ticket sales in history".

[33] In June 2009, concert promoter Allgood Entertainment, represented by Ira Meyerowitz and Jon Kekielek of MJlawfirm, sued Jackson for $40 million.

[50] It was suggested that after the London concerts, Jackson might head to Australia, Europe, India, China, Hong Kong and Japan before moving on to North America.

Randy Phillips, the CEO of AEG Live, told the LA Times that Australia was part of Michael Jackson's international tour plans.

Afterwards, he attended a meeting about a planned television special that was scheduled to air on October 31, on CBS, featuring footage of "Thriller" and "Threatened" from the shows.

[52] On June 25, 2009, 18 days before the first slated This Is It performance, Jackson died after suffering a cardiac arrest caused by an overdose of propofol and benzodiazepines.

AEG Live, who persuaded Jackson to sign up for the shows,[verification needed] faced a liability of up to £300 million and an empty venue for the next nine months.

[62] The papers filed in court had reportedly stated that Jackson's estate will get 90% of the profits and that AEG Live will get the remaining 10% from the film's revenue.

[65] Of the album, Sony said, "Disc one will feature the original album masters of some of Michael's biggest hits arranged in the same sequence as they appear in the film" and stated that "the disc ends with two versions of the 'never-released' 'This Is It' [...] This song is featured in the film's closing sequence and includes backing vocals by Michael's brothers and Alvin Chea of take 6.

"[66] Sony added that the second disc will feature previously unreleased versions from Jackson's "catalogue of hits", along with a spoken word poem entitled "Planet Earth" and a 36-page commemorative booklet with "exclusive photos of Michael from his last rehearsal".