Jackson 'didn't want validation'

The film was made from 100 hours of rehearsal footage

Michael Jackson wasn't planning his live comeback to silence his critics and prove himself, says the man who was masterminding the gigs.

Kenny Ortega said the star didn't have a need for vindication and that Jackson even laughed off the suggestion.

"One afternoon I said to him, 'I can't wait until we open in London, we're going to be validated and get your crown back.'

"He just laughed at me... He said, 'God bless you Kenny, that's so silly.' He did not get up in the morning and think about vindication."

Ortega insists Jackson was motivated by a need to reconnect with his fans, to share his "ecological concerns" and to show his love of music to his children.

The rehearsals film of the tour is out on 28 October and shows the singer working through his routines for the 50-date residency.

Jackson was putting in three to four hours stage practice each day according to Ortega, who denied rumours the star sometimes had to stop proceedings because he was unfit.

"Never! Never! He's not even breathless. You'll see it in the movie."

Travis Payne, who choreographed the show alongside Ortega, said the routines were set at a level that would allow them to be repeated night after night.

'In control'

"Michael pushed himself appropriately with a show that was to be so physical for these 50 dates it was very necessary for us to pace the show correctly, so that it was something that could be done many times."

Ortega also said that the singer's skinny appearance was Jackson's own choice and that he was very much in control.

Jackson was due to play 50 dates at London's 02 Arena

"He was his own man. There was a weight that Michael liked to be at, he liked to eat when he liked to eat.

"We (the show organisers) did want to make sure he was nourished and rested and looked after. But let's give Michael credit, he was in charge of himself."

Jackson's death in June this year has been ruled as a homicide caused by a powerful anaesthetic.

However, the report of the singer's post-mortem examination said he was a "fairly healthy" 50-year-old with nothing that would have stopped him from performing.

The rehearsal film, called Michael Jackson's This Is It, is released in cinemas on 28 October for a limited two-week run