EW reports that Chace Crawford (“Gossip Girl”) will not be taking the main role in Paramount’s remake of “Footloose.”
The studio suffered a similar blow when Zac Efron dropped out so as to not be typecast. Who knew that two teen stars would give up, of all things, a chance to be in “Footloose.” Unscathed, Paramount seems to be eyeing an unknown for the main role, probably to derail any future flakiness. As for Chase, the only thing that is confirmed to be on his plate is another season of “Gossip Girl” though he was a time in the running to suit up for “Captain America.”
Variety brings us word that Craig Brewer (“Hustle & Flow”) will be directing this remake. Paramount exec Adam Goodman claims he wants the picture to have some “edge,” so who better to take the director’s chair than the man who wrote and directed a film about a pimp becoming a moderately successful rapper? Along with “Hustle & Flow,” Brewer did work on MTV show “$5 Cover,” which followed musicians trying to make it in Memphis. Clearly, Brewer is well-versed in music films, and his placement as director now puts this project in a very promising state.
The remake of “Footloose” is planning to lens this summer and Brewer’s forthcoming trucker chase film “Mother Trucker” is still looking to roll out sometime in 2011.