The idea of This Is It, the distillation of hundreds of hours of rehearsal footage for Michael Jackson’s London stretch of live shows, seems to be as a tribute to the pop icon.

But the question is: Will it be respectful? Or exploitative?

A group of people think it might be the latter and are urging a boycott of the film, which comes out Wednesday. Both CinemaBlend and Digital Spy are reporting that the group has put up a Web site to ask for the boycott, saying the film is a device for people aiming to make a profit off curiosity.

From Digital Spy:

A statement on the site reads: “In the weeks leading up to Michael Jackson’s death, while this footage was being shot, people around him knew that he looked like he might have died. Those who stood to make a profit chose to ignore it.

“Friends and fans who had no financial interest, chose to address it and attempted to help him. AEG, the promoters for This Is It, ignored the signs, ignored the pleas, and in fact, actively covered up the truth. What you will see on that screen is part of that cover-up.

“It is our hope that many fans around the world will agree to join us and to unite one last time to do something that will shed light on the lies that are being said.”

A spokesperson for the film’s producer Sony Pictures responded: “We believe his fans will be grateful for the rare opportunity to see Michael’s creativity in action as he prepared and rehearsed for his upcoming London concerts.”

What do you think? Do you think this needs to be seen? Should it be boycotted? Do you care?

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