With a short, but troubled history, it has seemed like the film has been cursed by the Movie Gods, angered at yet another remake sauntering across the cinematic dance floor. But Paramount is intent on getting its new version of Footloose in production, with former John Connor actor Thomas Dekker as the studio’s next likely candidate.
The remake's development has been a carousel of changing directors and talent. Originally planned as a reunion for the High School Musical star/filmmaker team Zac Efron and Kenny Ortega, it was scuppered last year when Efron decided he wanted to stop working on so many musical projects and Ortega left claiming he was tired after making This Is It. Gossip Girl's Chace Crawford stepped in, but he also left when scheduling couldn’t be worked out.
Currently, Hustle & Flow’s Craig Brewer is the man in charge, having tinkered with the script and gotten the movie in a position to shoot. Dekker isn’t signed yet, but he’s definitely at the top of the wish list given his growing fan base. He’s not from the HSM crowd, but he has appeared in the likes of Heroes and The Sarah Connor Chronicles on TV.
Film-wise, he most recently appeared in the Nightmare On Elm Street remake, and he’s got Gregg Araki’s Kaboom scheduled to hit next. Talking of, the film was at Cannes, and our intrepid Videblogisode team chatted to the actor and his co-stars. Warning: video contains scenes of a romantic nature between a man and a tyre. Hope they were careful and used a rubber.*
*Ta-boom-tish!