Depending on your opinions of Step Up and its grammatically dodgy sequel Step Up 2 The Streets, you will be either thrilled or completely ambivalent to know that Disney are planning a sequel. But you may chuckle and roll your eyes at the fact that it's called Step Up 3D. Because it worked so well for Jaws.
John Chu, director of the last instalment (out in April, and believe us, it's hilarious. Not usually intentionally), is in talks to reprise his role, and while we're not sure of details yet, we're betting it involves a Kid From the Wrong Side Of The Tracks being sent to Maryland's School of Arts and learning to combine their natural dance skills with the more formal steps there. See, it's all about mutual tolerance and flinging your knees behind your ears.
Hey, maybe this time the main kid will be black, rather than just a photogenic white kid from an African American neighbourhood who has black friends. Or, then again, probably not. Or maybe the twist is that this time there'll be more than one rebel outsider set for the School. After all, we've had a boy in the original, and a girl in the sequel, so this time it'll have to be siblings or something. We're also predicting a cameo by one of the stars of the first two films, preferably Channing Tatum, who has gone on to have a career outside dance since.
The last film covered its $20 million budget, with room to spare, in its opening weekend at the US, so it's no surprise to see another sequel - and with that Hannah Montana movie making cash hand-over-fist with its 3D gimmick, it's obvious why they'd go for it here too. So expect to see lots of lithe young things flying and kicking out of the screen at you next year.
Disney also announced a few other projects they're working on with Step Up's production company, Offspring, run by director Adam Shankman among others. Shankman himself is just starting work on Bedtime Stories with Adam Sandler, and they're developing a raft of projects with the studio including a live-action Aladdin and a "teen Groundhog Day" in Monday Monday. Ye gods.
Sigh. Too depressed to write about any more of these dodgy-sounding adolescent entertainments. We'll be body-popping to cheer ourselves up if anyone needs us.