FOOTLOOSE Film Back On Track, To Be Directed By Craig Brewer

Variety is reporting that the new film version of "Footloose" has secured a new director. Craig Brewer will helm the film, which will work from his rewritten script. Chace Crawford is no longer attached to the project due to scheduling conflicts with the CW's "Gossip Girl."

The trade magazine reports that the studio intends for the picture to begin filming this summer.

According to Variety, "newly installed Par prexy of production Adam Goodman wanted an edgier tone than was originally planned for the redux. He and Brewer intend to stick much closer to the feel of the original film--a drama--versus focusing on elaborate musical numbers."

It was reported in October that director Kenny Ortega would exit the upcoming big screen musical remake of "Footloose." 

Speaking exclusively to EntertainmentWeekly.com, Kenny Ortega commented that he pulled out of the film because he was "Exhausted."

At the time, Ortega had been busy with press for the Michael Jackson concert film "This is It."

"It was not planned," Ortega told EW.com while attending the world premiere of the Michael Jackson movie.. "None of this was happening when I started working on "Footloose" with Paramount. I honestly love the team I was working with on it - Craig Zadan, Brad Weston, Neil Meron and Dylan Sellers, the actors. It had been a wonderful couple of years developing the idea but I really need to take a break. I wish them all the luck in the world."

Paramount had said it was sticking to its plan of starting production in March, when star Chace Crawford is on hiatus from the CW hit "Gossip Girl." Crawford was to star alongside Julianne Hough of "Dancing with the Stars" fame. To read full article on EW.com, click here.

It had been reported that the new film Footloose will be expanded into a "full-blown movie musical" from the earlier film with songs. Footloose also starred Lori Singer and John Lithgow. It was originally written by Dean Pitchford and directed by Herbert Ross. A Broadway musical version of Footloose was previously staged in 1998.

Over the course of his 30-year career, Emmy Award-winning director and choreographer Ortega has worked with superstars Madonna, the late Michael Jackson, Kiss, Cher, and Diana Ross. He choreographed the classic "Dirty Dancing" and, most recently, directed all three "High School Musical" films. The hugely successful trilogy has broken numerous records including "High School Musical 3: Senior Year's" record opening for a song-and-dance film grossing $42 million in its first weekend.

The film will be produced by the highly successful team of Craig Zadan (a producer of the original "Footloose" in 1984) and Neil Meron. Together, Zadan and Meron produced the blockbuster "Hairspray" and the critically acclaimed "Chicago," which was the first musical in 34 years to win the top honor of Best Picture Oscar at the 2002 Academy Awards. The film will also be produced by Dylan Sellers ("Agent Cody Banks"). Academy Award-nominated Susannah Grant ("Erin Brockovich") wrote the recently green-lit screenplay.

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