Michael Jackson's 'Moonwalker' To Get U.S. Theater Debut?

Michael Jackson's short-film anthology "Moonwalker" may finally get a debut theatrical screening in the United States more than 20 years after it was released.

Back in 1988, MJ first unveiled the ambitious project, which contained several long-form videos for songs off his then-just-released Bad album, including his famous 25-minute clip for "Smooth Criminal." The film had been scheduled to be released in U.S. theaters that Christmas, but for whatever reason, that plan was scrapped. The movie was released on VHS early in 1989, and — surprise, surprise — became a massive success. But now, more than two decades after its debut, one theater is planning to give "Moonwalker" a proper premiere here in the States.

According to TMZ, Hollywood's Arclight Cinemas is actively searching for a print of the film, with plans to show it on the big screen ... for one night only.

The idea came after Jackson fans flooded Arclight's Facebook page with requests to show "Moonwalker," and the theater is now on the hunt for a copy of the flick. Even if the search is successful, there's no word on when the premiere would occur. The theater had not responded to MTV News' e-mail seeking a comment by press time.

However, Jackson fans might not want to hold their breath. In a follow-up story, TMZ reported that the late singer's estate had blocked Arclight's attempts to secure a print of the film, with a spokesperson for the theater telling the website: "We contacted the film's directors and producers and were finally directed to MJ's estate attorney [who] let us know the estate has the [film's] rights but have no plans to make ... prints available for rent at this time."

"Moonwalker" features videos for Jackson tracks like "Speed Demon" (directed by Claymation innovator Will Vinton), "Leave Me Alone" (which was released as a promo and won Jackson a 1989 Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form) and, as mentioned, the iconic "Criminal," which features Jackson battling a group of mobsters led by Joe Pesci.

The flick also served as the inspiration for the super-awesome Sega game "Moonwalker, which featured a digital MJ morphing into a laser-blasting robot with the aid of his chimpanzee pal, Bubbles.

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