The "window wars" continue to heat up between the studios and theater owners. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Sony's attempt to release Michael Jackson's This Is It for a holiday DVD release was thwarted by the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO).

NATO argued that the DVD/BD release would be too close to the film's premiere, despite the fact that the film was only being released in theaters for a two-week limited engagement, although it has been rumored that the run might be lengthened or that the film will be re-released in theaters at a later date. It was said that Sony "desperately wanted" to release Michael Jackson's This Is It, but backed off once NATO took issue with the move.

This isn't the first time that NATO and the studios have been at odds over a DVD release window strategy. We reported a few weeks ago that NATO was angered by Paramount's decision to release G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra on DVD on November 3, only 88 days after its theatrical premiere. The average window between a film's theatrical debut and DVD release is 129 days.

While a specific release date wasn't announced, it was believed that Michael Jackson's This Is It would hit DVD and BD shelves sometime next year. to read the rest of the article.

Michael Jackson's This Is It was released October 28th, 2009 and stars Michael Jackson, Alex Al, Alexandra Apjarova, Nick Bass, Michael Bearden, Irina Brecher, Daniel Celebre, Mekia Cox. The film is directed by Kenny Ortega.