Thriller is the most famous music video of all time – and these intimate photographs give an insight into the making of Michael Jackson’s legendary Thriller more than 30 years ago. And as sales of the King of Pop’s record-breaking album of the same name surpasses 100million worldwide – becoming the first ever to do so – these behind-the-scenes shots show the process behind the creation of the 13-minute spooky short film that has been hailed as pinnacle of the pop idol’s career.
Taken by photographer Douglas Kirkland in 1983, Jackson is shown being transformed into a werewolf and zombie – as well as captured laughing and joking on set with co-star Ola Ray – and of course, clad in his iconic red and black leather jacket.
Hundreds of similar never-before-seen photographs are published in Michael Jackson: The Making of ‘Thriller’ – in which Kirkland and journalist Nancy Griffin recall their exhilaration at being on the set.
Although it cost an unprecedented $500,000 to make, the video, directed by John Landis, helped Jackson break racial barriers and earned him a place on MTV, which until then had overwhelmingly featured white acts.
The nearly 14 minute long epic also became the first music video to be included in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress months after the singer’s death in 2009, cementing forever its place in cinematic history.
