Which artist released the 39-minute music film Ghosts in 1996?

Michael Jackson released the 39-minute music film Ghosts in 1996.

Ghosts was a horror-themed musical film directed by Stan Winston, with a screenplay and story developed by Jackson and Stephen King. Jackson performs multiple roles, including the Maestro, in a story about a supernatural entertainer confronting a hostile mayor and skeptical townspeople.

The project grew partly from Jackson’s interest in combining dance, special effects, makeup, and narrative filmmaking. Its approximately 39-minute length made it substantially longer than a conventional promotional music video and closer to a short musical film.

Ghosts is sometimes confused with Thriller because both use horror imagery and elaborate choreography. Thriller, released in 1983, is a separate short film directed by John Landis and is much more famous in popular culture. Ghosts instead belongs to Jackson’s later 1990s film projects and includes songs associated with the album Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix.