From evening and midnight screenings in North America to middle-of-the-night and morning showings in Europe, Asia and elsewhere, 'Michael Jackson's This Is It' arrived simultaneously worldwide in the biggest cinematic blowout ever for a music film.
At the Los Angeles premiere near the arena where much of Jackson's rehearsal footage was shot, celebrities attending included Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez, Paris Hilton, Neil Patrick Harris, Katy Perry, Adam Lambert, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr.
'This Is It' director Kenny Ortega, a longtime Jackson collaborator, wiped away tears and greeted dancers and celebrity guests including Paula Abdul with hugs.
Ortega said he expected audiences would be most surprised by "the intimacy. It's unguarded and raw and real, and Michael is there and available to us all, and lovely and kind."
Michael Bearden, musical director and associate producer of filmmaker Kenny Ortega's 'This Is It', said that making the film was the most "bittersweet" project of his career, but he was happy "the world will see (Jackson's) triumph."
"I know he would have liked it," Bearden said. "Kenny Ortega and I, we considered Michael in every aspect of the movie. We were with him every day for the last three or four months of his life at least, so we know he would have liked what we did."
"It's showing what a perfectionist he was," said Jackson's brother Jermaine.
Jackson backup dancer Misha Gabriel said the film is "such an honest and raw look at the creative process that at times it makes me think that maybe he wouldn't want people to see so much of the creative process before it was finalized. But I think that's the beauty of the film."
"It's Michael becoming great, perfecting his perfection, if that makes sense," said fellow dancer Nick Bass.
Opening in 99 countries on Tuesday and Wednesday, the film expands to 110 territories by this weekend, with distributor Sony putting 15,000 prints of 'This Is It' into circulation. The studio paid $60 million for the film rights.
"I was tossing and turning with nervous feelings all night. Michael Jackson is a hero in my life, and I cannot wait to see the final shot of Michael," said Noh Kyeong-ae, a 34 year-old accountant, sobbing at a movie theater in Seoul, South Korea.
"All the genres of Korean music history are basically all influenced by Michael Jackson. This is such a meaningful time for me to watch the movie of a person in the century," said Lee In-kyu, 29, an office worker in Seoul who took a day off to watch the film.
The simultaneous showings around the globe were anchored by a star-studded premiere at the Nokia Theatre, a concert venue across the street from Staples Center, where many of Jackson's rehearsals -- and his high-profile public memorial -- were held.
