Los Angeles  - Movie director John Landis has sued Michael Jackson for profits from the Thriller video which Landis co-wrote and directed in 1983.

The lawsuit was filed last week in Los Angeles Superior Court just days before it was announced that Jackson had teamed up with a Broadway producer to turn the groundbreaking video into a theatrical musical.

In the lawsuit, available online, Landis claimed that he was entitled to 50 per cent of the profits from the video, but that Jackson had failed to pay him his share for the last four years.

"After a spectacular theatrical premiere, the 'Thriller' video became a worldwide megahit and an iconic pop culture phenomenon that has continued to generate profits for defendants (Optimum Productions) and Michael Jackson, who have wrongfully refused to pay or account for such profits to plaintiff," the suit said.

The lawsuit included a 1983 agreement between Jackson and Landis covering the video and an hour-long documentary, which Landis also directed. (dpa)