Chace Crawford To Star In Remake Of "Footloose"?

Paramount Pictures Corporation, USA is reportedly on the lookout for a new lead actor to star in a remake of the 1984 dance movie "Footloose" after Zac Efron (pic, right) pulled out of the deal. Zac, a "High School Musical" star, said he's not interested in doing another musical right now. One of the hopefuls who may replace Zac is "Gossip Girl" star Chace Crawford (pic, left) and who had supposedly auditioned for the role. There has not been any official press release from Paramount yet. The movie remake will be directed by Kenny Ortega and is due for release in the fall of 2010.

Footloose revolves around the story of a teenager, Ren McCormack who was born and raised in Chicago. Ren and his family relocate to a small town in the West where he's in for a real case of culture shock. You see, the town council has banned rock music and dancing! Ren and his classmates want to do away with this ordinance as the senior prom is around the corner. They must however circumvent the law and a bible-thumping pastor who feels it is his God-given mission to keep the town free from the "sins" of rock music and dancing.The movie was based loosely on events that took place in the tiny rural farming community of Elmore City in Oklahoma.

The original movie starred Kevin Bacon as Ren McCormack. It featured a delightful combination of dance choreography and realistic and touching performances. The fast-paced drama is filled with such great hit songs like "Footloose" by Kenny Logins and "Let's Do It For The Boy" by Deniece Williams. Both these songs reached the number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and received the 1985 Academy Award Nomination for Best Music (Original Song). Footloose also received a 1985 Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Original Song - Motion Picture. A musical version of Footloose has also been staged.

Hollywood has always been looking at hit movies of the past for inspiration, hoping to turn them into future blockbusters. In the pipeline are movie remakes of about 40 "cult" films, amongst them "A Nightmare On Elm Street, The Thing, The Birds, Logan's Run, The Dirty Dozen, and Fame". Which begs the question - will Hollywood ever produce a remake of the 1939 classic "Gone With The Wind"? The iconic "Gone With The Wind" has remained as one of the greatest and most popular movies of all times and a remake of this masterpiece would be a tall order and a tough act to follow indeed!