Efron and Ortega Led FOOTLOOSE Film Fast-Tracked by Paramount

Daily Variety is reporting that Paramount Pictures has fast-tracked "Footloose," in an effort to get the film ready to start production next spring. "Footloose" which is to star Zac Efron and will be directed by Kenny Ortega is white hot after the $42 million opening weekend for "High School Musical 3."    

Paramount has brought on "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" director Peter Sollett to rewrite the Jon Hartmere script and hired Craig Zadan and Neil Meron to join Dylan Sellers as producer.

"Footloose" will be shaped for an older teen and adult demo. Variety states that Efron is just about set in a deal that will pay him a mid-seven-figure salary and give him script approval.

Zadan and Meron are the well established producers of the film musicals "Chicago" and "Hairspray," the latter of which was Efron's first feature. Zadan also was a producer of the original 1984 "Footloose." They will join Sellers, who has put two years of work into the musical with Ortega.

While Sollett rewrites the Hartmere script, the studio is working on new songs that will complement some of the memorable original tunes. Though the Herb Ross-directed film wasn't a musical, screenwriter Dean Pitchford wrote lyrics for songs that included the Kenny Loggins title song as well as "Let's Hear It for the Boy," "Almost Paradise" and "Holding Out for a Hero." At least some of those tunes are expected to be in the new movie reports the entertaiment trade daily.

Efron will play Kevin Bacon's role of Ren McCormack, "the rebellious newcomer in a town where dancing has been banned." Efron's other credits include "The Replacements," "Heist," "Summerland" and 'High School Musical" and "High School Musical 2". 

"Footloose" had one of the biggest-selling soundtracks of its era and made a star of Kevin Bacon.

A Broadway musical version of Footloose was previously staged in 1998.  

The North American release of Disney's High School Musical 3 brought in even bigger numbers than originally anticipated. Variety reports that High School Musical 3 brought in $42 million domestically to top the box office and to make it the biggest musical bow ever. 

The film also brought in $40 million from 22 overseas markets and has been receiving better than anticipated reviews, including a weekend rave from Stephen Holden in the The New York Times.  

Photo Credit: Sara De Boer / Retna Ltd.     

 

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