It’s been over a year since Michael Jackson’s death, but the King of Pop doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of fading away from the public consciousness. Word on the street is that Kenny Ortega, director of Michael Jackson’s This Is It, is currently shopping around a new project that capitalizes on Jacko’s legacy. Believe it or not, it’s a feature film inspired by the hit song “Thriller”, and while it’s unclear if it will be based on the classic music video, I can already see the dollar signs behind this idea. Several studios are in the midst of a bidding war over the rights, including GK Films, Fox 2000, Lionsgate and Summit Entertainment.

Deadline New York reports that Ortega will direct the film, while Jeremy Garelick (The Hangover, The Break-up) will write the script. The plot is said to be somehow related to “the song’s folklore, involving Vincent Price and the town he grew up in.” Does this mean we won’t get dancing zombies? I don’t believe that for a second.

The 14-minute music video directed by John Landis has often been called the greatest music video ever made, and it certainly has enough of a story that it could be fashioned into a feature film. Plus zombies are hot right now, and so are musicals and Michael Jackson… how can you say no? Strangely, there is also mention of another Michael Jackson movie in development based on his early years from Ivan Reitman and Tom Pollock. One way or another, we’ll be seeing Michael Jackson on the big screen again soon enough. What do you think, could “Thriller” hold its own as a feature-length movie?