Paramount Pictures has found their Ren McCormack — and he’s no one you’ve ever heard of. Newcomer Kenny Wormald won the role after auditioning against thousands of other hopefuls in a worldwide search. Wormald, a Boston native, appeared in the MTV series Dancelife and recently toured with Justin Timberlake. He will join Dancing with the Stars alum Julianne Hough, who will play Ariel, and Dennis Quaid, who joins the cast in the role of Reverend Moore. Writer/director Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow) will helm the project that he rewrote after Zac Efron and director Kenny Ortega dropped out of the famed 1980s remake last year.
This could be a star-making role for Wormald, as Ren McCormack was for Kevin Bacon back in 1984. Veteran producer Craig Zadan, who produced the original, will also produce the remake. The movie will feature choreography from Jamal Sims, who most recently worked with Madonna on her Sticky & Sweet tour, and will next work for Neil Patrick Harris on his production of Rent at the Hollywood Bowl.
Says Brewer, “I can promise Footloose fans that I will be true to the spirit of the original film. But I still gotta put my own Southern grit into it and kick it into 2011.”
Paramount has set April 1, 2011 for the film’s release. Production is set to begin in August.
Does this premise of this movie really work in 2011?
Maybe they’ll update it somehow, plot-wise. I hope so, because a whole town morally opposed to dancing? Yeah, not so likely in the 21st century.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. Maybe if they make him a gay guy who wants to take his boyfriend to prom, the story could work in 2011.
Now THAT I might actually watch… especially if it still included a lot of awesome dancing.
You would be surprised. I live in Virginia, not far from DC and we have a huge megachurch here that forbids dancing, even teens holding hands. I don’t think Liberty University allows dancing either.
*LOL* Yeah, the Liberty Way! The 46-page code of conduct which outlines the rules and regulations of student life @ Liberty U. No drinking, no smoking, no R-rated movies, no dancing, no cursing and no hugs that last for longer than three seconds. Look it up folks. Its what the Evangelical Christians want for this entire country.
Hey now, not all Christians are psycho like that
It’s not the slightest bit farfetched. Visit one of those ‘red states’ sometime – it’s appalling.
Tarchannon… I live in one of those red states (THE red state, really… home of W), and it’s not as bad as you think. Many Christians are a lot more open-minded than people give us credit for. That being said, there are a few really conservative private schools here that have “banquets” instead of dances… but that doesn’t seem like it would make for a very interesting movie.
Have you BEEN to some of these small farming towns in America? Yes, It is still a viable premise.
Yes! Movie isn’t dead!
This movie is a classic. I wonder if they will use a NEW Beetle as his car?
Seriously? Can Hollywood please stop regurgitating remakes of movies we really dont want to see redone? Are they completely out of original ideas?
Yes. Yes they are.
Also, the new generation doesn’t want to see movies from the ’80′s they want to see something from “now”. Even though it won’t be as great as the original. I want to know about the soundtrack. “Footloose” had one of the BEST soundtracks! Who’s going to be on this one???
I’m of this “new generation,” and unless the reboot is REALLY good (Star Trek), I’d much rather stick to the original.
Apparently all Hollywood can do is remake films that were fine to begin with and adapt from stories already written. Originality? Hollywood’s answer: Nevah!
Well, if you want to get technical about it, every story ever told is more or less a remake or rewrite of one of the same 12 basic storylines.
That’s cheap, John.
If you have that ‘technical’ knowledge of literature then you know very well it’s not about the base storyline archetypes when it comes to audience consumption. It’s about the veneer, the characters within, and the details. The details are everything.
it is getting quite ridiculous
I suppose the Back To The Future trilogy is next.
Who will stand in for the Libyans I wonder…
Yep, probably either the Iranians or the North Koreans.
Ooooh, could we call it “Back to Back to the Future”?
Why does Paramount keep pushing and wasting time and money on a remake of a movie that hardly qualifies as CLASSIC? I seriously doubt there’s a big audience demanding this movie to be made…they should have taken a hint once they started losing directors and lead actors on this wreck of a production..
Is a re-make really necessary? Is Hollywood that unimaginitive or does it think we, the consumers, are?
Having said that, I hope they make the kids non-smokers in the new version.
I’m sorry but footloose SUCKED. How can you call this movie a classic? This movie will be a flop.
I JUST NEED TO DANCE!!! lol
Well, you’re out of touch with reality (or the reality of movie history). Don’t you have a Drake video or something to go watch?
Wait a minute… I know this guy from somewhere. Was he in Center Stage 2?
And oh my gosh, if ever there were a good reason to take a stage name, “Wormald” is it.
And “star-making role?” Yeah, just like the Fame remake made stars of all those actors.
Actually, I got the weird feeling that Chace Crawford is soooo gonna regret dropping out of this movie. This new guy has that “something” saying his time has come.
@rj631
Nice. Very FOX News of you. Pull the quote out of context. The author wrote “This COULD BE a star-making role”. Disagree with the postulation but don’t say it in a way which seems to ridicule the author. It reeks of either malice or ignorance.
Ouchies. Somebody is taking things a little seriously. I didn’t think the “could be” added so much it completely changed the context. The meaning stayed the same: that it’s possibly a star-making role. I didn’t quote the whole sentence b/c I assumed ppl already read the article and wanted to save space, not maliciously torment the writer. Who knows? It could be a star-making role, I just personally think it’s a slim chance. I know it’s hard to read tone on the Internet, but I didn’t intend to make a comment dripping with evil.
That’s a fair call. Too harsh. My bad, my bad. I’d just come from another (nastier) thread & filled any vague spots in your post with malice and responded unjustly. I will now slink off into a corner and remain quiet. Exit, stage left.
Well, the Fame remake was *terrible* (TERRIBLE), but I’ve seen Kay Pananbaker and, particularly, Asher Booke getting lots of small screen work.
Agreed, Tarchannon. The Panabaker sisters get A LOT of work (although that was true before Fame, too), and Asher Book has been on Parenthood. He’s pretty compelling onscreen; I expect he’ll be around for a while.
Yes, Center Stage 2!
I was seeing if anyone else recognized him too!
I did. I feel like I should be a little embarrassed about that. Kinda like I was a little embarrassed when I recognized the girl from the movie in those horrible Christmastime Gap commercials.
ah! I knew I’d seen him somewhere before, he’s a really good dancer, his accent was kind of horrible in that movie though. i guess i’m intrigued.
He has a super strong Boston accent. I hope they write Ren as being from MA in the remake, because I’m not sure he’s really believable as a non-New Englander.
lol… this is sooo far gone into automatic flop… i cannot wait for the opening weekend when mags like EW will be “shocked” it didn’t do well.
This is a case where nostalgia for the first film does not help a remake, in my opinion. I do wonder how they can update this movie without turning it into Step Up or something.
Well how many movies these days have a premise that really fits 2011? Who cares??? Let go a little and have some fun!
I care, Bonnie. I care.
Do we really need a movie starring Julianne Hough? That’s reason enough for me not to see it.
True – she’s enough to make me stay home, although I love the original.
Agreed.
Why do they keep making remakes? Why would I want to watch a movie with Julianne Hough in it when I can watch her on DWTS?
I LOVE your idea, Nodnard!
He may be an unknown to most people, but I knew exactly who he was the moment I saw the picture.
This movie may very turn out to be a flop, but I’m going to see it just because of the talent the two leads definitely have dance-wise. This bit of casting news is a step in the right direction for the film. Kenny can really, really dance. I heard that all the dance lessons they were forcing Chace Crawford to take were NOT helping–glad he dropped out.