Dora The Explorer Sues Nickelodeon

The now 14- year old Caitlin Sanchez has filed a lawsuit against Nickelodeon, alleging they have failed to pay her for profits from DVD sales, repeat fees and other spin-offs as well as hundreds of hours of promotional work. Sanchez lost her gig as the voice for Dora once she reached puberty. She claims that executives promised she would share in these revenues but says that the “convoluted payment deduction clauses” and “free services provisions” ended up in her losing “many million dollars” she expected, the lawsuit alleges. She further alleges that her “inexperienced agent” was given 22 minutes to sign the deal or potentially lose the opportunity, the legal action claims. A Nickelodeon spokesman called the lawsuit “baseless,” saying, “She was well compensated for her work and for personal appearances.”

MJ’s ‘This is it’ coming to DVD in January

“This Is It,” the box-office sensation that captures Michael Jackson [ tickets ] rehearsing for what was to be the late King of Pop’s string of comeback concerts, will be available for the small screen early next year.

Scheduled for release on Jan. 26, the home version of “This Is It”–which will be available in Blu-ray, DVD and PSP formats–will feature all of the footage shown in the theatrical version, as well as bonus features including two making-of documentaries and a “costume featurette,” according to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Additionally, the Blu-ray edition will feature exclusives including “all-new ‘Smooth Criminal’ and ‘Thriller’ vignettes,” among other extras.

Originally due to play in theaters for only two weeks, “This Is It” saw its theatrical run extended thanks to strong ticket sales; the flick has reportedly grossed more than $70 million in the US and almost $170 million worldwide since its October release.

Live Daily

‘Michael Jackson’s Ticket Sales Break International Records

Documentary has sold out hundreds of screenings across U.S. a month before its release.

Even in death, Michael Jackson continues to be a guaranteed superstar. Just as the initial run of his planned concerts at the O2 arena in London sold out almost instantly earlier this year, the posthumous documentary about the King of Pop’s preparations for that residency, “Michael Jackson’s This Is It,” has broken advance ticket sales records for a movie.

According to Reuters, hundreds of screenings in North America have already sold out, a month before the film’s October 28 opening.

Among the cities with the strongest sales are Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston and New York. Records were also set in Japan, where more than $1 million in tickets were sold on the first day they were available. In London, fans bought more than 30,000 tickets on the first day, eclipsing the advance interest in the “Harry Potter” and “The Lord of the Rings” films, which were wildly popular in Britain. Record sales were also reported in Holland, Sweden, Belgium and New Zealand.

The documentary will have a limited two-week run, which might explain the rush on tickets. On Sunday, all 3,000 spots for a Los Angeles advance screening of “This Is It” on October 27 sold out within two hours.

The film follows Jackson as he rehearsed and prepared for a 50-date run of concerts, which were scheduled to begin in London just weeks after his death on June 25. Sony Pictures Entertainment paid $60 million for the more than 100 hours of hi-def rehearsal footage. The film, which was directed by Kenny Ortega, will feature behind-the-scenes footage as well as Jackson and his band and dancers rehearsing for the tour.

Last week, it was confirmed that a two-disc album featuring a new song, “This Is It,” will be released on October 27 to coincide with the movie’s theatrical release. The new single drops on October 12.

MTV