Brief film teaser for Michael Jackson fans

Michael Jackson fans were given a brief taste today of the glittering spectacle their late idol was planning at his string of axed shows. (Getty Images)

Michael Jackson fans were given a brief taste today of the glittering spectacle their late idol was planning at his string of axed shows.

A trailer for the movie This Is It, assembled from rehearsal footage and behind-the-scenes interviews, was unveiled ahead of the film's release next month.

The two-and-a-half-minute clip shows showstopping dance routines and dazzling stage sets which would have been used for the cancelled run of 50 shows at London's O2 Arena.

Jackson died in June just days before the comeback concerts were due to begin.

Re-enactments of his zombie dance routine for Thriller, moonwalks and stage sets featuring rainforests and night-time cityscapes are among the highlights of the teaser for the film, which is released on October 28.

Jackson can also be seen corralling his dancers and giving them the right rhythms as they run through a dance.

Kenny Ortega, who was overseeing the shows, has directed the film, which will be released for just two weeks.

Last week Jermaine Jackson pulled the plug on a tribute show he was planning for his brother in Vienna, Austria, later this month. It will be replaced by a show in the UK next summer, although details have still to be finalised.