Wanted, dead or alive: The earning potential of dead celebs

[bluesky]

Wanted, dead or alive: The earning potential of dead celebs


<cite class="byline vcard top-line" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1408127008412_1603" style="font-style: normal; font-size: 11px; line-height: 12.100000381469727px;"><abbr id="yui_3_16_0_1_1408127008412_1602" style="display: block;">August 14, 2014 8:35 AM</abbr></cite>Yahoo Finance











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A new music video premiered late Wednesday night via Twitter and it's from the top-earning celeb of 2013. Michael Jackson’s “A Place with No Name” was released via Jackson’s Twitter account. According to Forbes, Jackson earned $160 million in 2013, topping the list of highest-earning dead celebrities. Jackson's total also bested the highest-earning living celebrities, where Modanna came in #1 with $125 million in earnings for 2013. Last year marked the third time in the past five years that the celebrity who earned the most is no longer living.
<iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" title="Embedded Tweet" height="210" style="display: block; margin: 7px auto; max-width: 99%; min-width: 220px; padding: 0px; border-top-left-radius: 5px; border-top-right-radius: 5px; border-bottom-right-radius: 5px; border-bottom-left-radius: 5px; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238) rgb(221, 221, 221) rgb(187, 187, 187); border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.14902) 0px 1px 3px; position: static; visibility: visible; width: 500px; float: none; min-height: 210px; clear: both;"></iframe>Yahoo spoke to Forbes senior editor and author of the book “Michael Jackson, Inc,” Zack O’Malley Greenburg about how the dead artist is pulling in millions of dollars even after his death. O'Malley Greenburg chalks it up to Jackson’s unique ability to tour in two places at once. There are two Jackson themed Cirque Du Soleil shows running: one in vegas and the other globally. The latter is one of the top ten grossing shows of all time. The King of Pop's estate also earns millions from his already-released music and from his Sony catalog, which includes music from The Beatles.
Next on Forbes' list is Elvis Presley, followed by Peanuts creator, Charles Schulz. But those are celebrities that passed away decades ago.
Paul Walker was killed in November 2013, while "Fast & Furious 7" was still in production. The film will be released next year with Paul Walker featured in it. In fact, technology plays a huge part in the resurgence of dead celebrities and their careers. Walker will appear in the film via digital slight of hand and sibling stand-ins.
And what is to say there won’t be a "Fast & Furious 8", "9" and "10"with Walker in them? Holograms of Michael Jackson and Tupac Shakur have appeared at live performances. Speaking of Tupac - he released seven albums after his death - all of which went platinum.
In the Twitter age, celebrities don’t die, they live on through their social media presence. Michael Jackson currently has 1.57 million Twitter followers.
The recent death of actor Robin Williams also released an outpouring of sentiment on Twitter and Facebook. Seven of Williams' films occupy eight of the top 20-selling DVDs Amazon's Film & TV Best Sellers list and five of the top 20 on iTunes. He leaves behind four films that will be released over the next few months.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/from-...eath-123501209.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory

 

[J5master]

I have to be honest here - something about this focus on his post-death 'success' makes me really really uneasy, for a lot of reasons that I can't articulate. I know everyone here LOVES all of the posthumous stuff, but i still think there is another side to all of this - as far as the narrative it gives to the value MJ had when he was alive. And the media especially just loves to drive that undercurrent home.

Essentially, the success makes me happy but equally...really sad.

 

[Victory22]

I agree that the press in this country is only interested in $$$$$.

 

[#MJforever57]

I agree with that too and that is is what make me sad because Michael is not here.

 

[morinen]

This topic has been milked for 5 years now. And the estate and Sony are kind of encouraging it by putting emphasis on the posthumous sales numbers, "records" (that don't really mean anything but are hyped enormously) and making it look like they continue MJ's career.

As my friend put it, I always hated expression "best years of MJ's career," but now I have to agree that there was such a period. It ended in 2009.

 

[SheilaMJFan4Ever]

Well, Forbes is a magazine/website that deals heavily with finances and top ten-ish lists, so I'm not surprised by it. Mike's posthumous success would't exist if he didn't make a huge impact while he was ALIVE. Nobody would give a damn.

It's not a list I wanted him to be the king of, but it shows his mass appeal transcends life itself and for that I am happy to see.