Who directed Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video?

John Landis directed Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” music video.

Released in December 1983, the video was conceived as a short horror film rather than a conventional performance clip. Landis had directed the 1981 horror comedy An American Werewolf in London, and Jackson approached him after seeing it. The resulting production included a scripted story, elaborate makeup, werewolf and zombie transformations, choreographed dancing, and a spoken introduction by horror star Vincent Price.

The project was unusually expensive for its era and was released with a making-of documentary. Its film-like structure helped establish the music video as a major visual art form and event. The “Thriller” dance, red jacket, and zombie sequence became instantly recognizable, while Landis’s involvement connected Jackson’s pop spectacle with the traditions of classic horror cinema.