Michael Jackson's 50 concerts in London were just a warm-up to a vast, three-year world tour including Australia.

Kenny Ortega, Jackson's lifelong friend and director of his concerts and the new documentary This Is It, said the King of Pop had grand plans for a final marathon tour of the globe before retiring.

Australia was on top of Jackson's list of concert destinations.

"Oh yeah," Ortega told AAP during an interview in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

"He loved Australia."

Ortega painstakingly edited 100 hours of footage of rehearsals for the 50 sold-out concerts at London's O2 Arena and turned it into This Is It.

The footage was filmed between March and June 24, the evening before Jackson's death.

The documentary has been overwhelmingly praised by critics and is a favourite to be nominated for an Oscar.

In North America alone it is projected to earn more than $US40 million ($A44.5 million) at the box office in its first week in theatres.

"I am beside myself," Ortega said of the critical and public response.

"I am overjoyed."

Jackson, 50, died from cardiac arrest hours after a rehearsal at LA's Staples Centre indoor stadium with his band, dancers and creative team.

His two Australian crew members, lead guitarist from Adelaide Orianthi Panagaris and the Gold Coast's Shannon Holtzapffel, who beat out 5,000 others to be named one of Jackson's 11 back-up dancers, figure prominently in the documentary.

They were also set to tour the world with their idol.

"Michael talked to me about it a lot," Ortega said of the world tour.

"We would just be hanging out on a rest break and sitting in the dressing room and he would say 'Kenny, have you ever been to India?'.

"I would say 'No, I really want to go to India so badly. I haven't been'.

"He'd say 'You must. You must. When I take the show to India whatever you are doing you have to stop and come back and join the tour'.

"He'd say 'What about Japan?'

"I'd say 'Yes of course. I love Japan. I want to go to Japan'.

"He'd say 'What about Africa?'

"I'd say 'Yes, Africa'.

"I realised he wanted the world.

"He wanted to take this all over the world."

Ortega, 59, a world-renowned choreographer and director of the High School Musical movies, was a teenager when he first became friends with Jackson.

He said he was completely floored when told Jackson was dead, although he admitted he had been concerned about Jackson's weight.

"I wished he was a little heavier and he would say 'I know'," Ortega said.

"I would always encourage him and was shoving food over in front of him.

"It wasn't just me.

"All of us were handing him water and protein shakes."

Ortega is yet to come to terms with his friend's death and has found himself breaking down in interviews.

"I'm still going through an awful lot," Ortega said.

"Two times today I have had to say 'excuse me' and get up and walk into another room and take a couple of deep breaths and come back in.

"It is hard for me.

"I'm sitting here answering questions on behalf of Michael.

"I would have never been in this chair if the dream had been fulfilled and the journey had gone the way I expected."