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Zac Efron Bails on Paramount's 'Footloose'
After three "High School Musicals" and "Hairspray," he's afraid of being typecast as the cute song-and-dance man.
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Disney released a triptych of posters for this spring's "Alice in Wonderland" on Thursday. The posters give audiences a look at Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter's Red Queen, Anne Hathaway's White Queen, and Mia Wasikowska's Alice. Take a look at the avant-garde art for Tim Burton's upcoming 3D fantasy flick.
Zac Efron wants to be fancy free, but apparently not footloose, TheWrap has discovered.
The teen-throb star of Disney’s first three “High School Musical” films, has pulled out of Paramount’s planned remake of “Footloose,” in an apparent effort to stretch his career beyond fame as just a cute song-and-dance man.
Efron told the studio last week that he did not want to do another musical at this point in his career, according to a senior member of the production team.
The team member told TheWrap that Efron had script approval on the movie and used a rewrite on the screenplay as the loophole to get out of his contract: “People had been working on this project since last July -- we were all shocked.”
Said Paramount, in a statement to TheWrap: "Footloose is a project we've longed to see re-booted for a new generation. While Zac is no longer attached, we remain excited and committed to the collective brain trust of Kenny Ortega, Neil Meron and Craig Zaden, who will reinvigorate the franchise. Their fresh take on the film will undoubtedly be filled with the same kind of breakout performances that we’ve come to expect from them.”
Despite occasional serious roles in film and television series such as “NCIS” and “CSI: Miami,” Efron has earned superstar status by singing and dancing as Troy Bolton in the HSM series, the first two for television, the third a wide-release feature. He also played a singing, dancing teen in the 2007 musical “Hairspray,’’ a remake of the 1988 John Waters’ film, which became a Broadway musical.
And earlier this month, along with his “HSM” co-star and girl friend, Vanessa Hudgens, he joined Hugh Jackman in a song and dance number during the Academy Award presentations.
Seems enough of that is enough for the young actor.
Efron’s effort to play a more serious role was slated to get a big boost last year with the release of “Me and Orson Welles,” a drama with Claire Danes, directed by Richard Linklater, in which he plays a Broadway actor who has a chance meeting with Welles in 1937. The film, scheduled for 2008, has not yet been released.
The new “Footloose,” a remake of the 1984 Kevin Bacon starrer, was to be directed by Kenny Ortega, who directed all three “High School Musicals” and was slated to begin shooting this spring in Atlanta, with a targeted release date in 2010. The budget was well over $20 million.
While Disney is planning a “High School Musical 4,” Efron is not expected to be a part of it.
Comments
Afnonymous Says
Thank goodness.
He is sweet enough, but rather dull.games
james Says
Seemed like a no-brainer for Paramount to go with Kenny's vision on online marketing. He is nicknamed "The Billion Dollar Boy" by Disney for reigning in all that cash from High School Musical, and he did choreograph the original Dirty Dancing, and he's about to make a bagillion $'s with Michael Jackson's This Is It
How could a Kenny Ortega teen dance movie not make rediculous return of investment at $30 million? How easy is that to market? "From the guy who brought you the highest grossing dance movies comes a new one that is a remake you can bring your parents to...".
Not that I like any of his films, but as far as business it seems like a bad move.
Anonymos Says
That is soooo disappointing!!!!!!!! I couldn't wait to see him in the remake, he is so perfect for the part!!!! Wow this is a real let down!!! I love musicals, there my favorite kind of movies. I really wish he would reconsider, I mean does he realize how many of his fans hes disappointing by doing this???????? Since the day I heard he was doing Footloose I have been so anxious to see it and now???? Wow this is a real bummer!!!!!
MzKiKi Says
I agree..i thought "HSM4" wasn't going to include any of the original cast members because, according to the story, they were all graduating.
Either way, i support Zac Efron. I think he is a talented young man who has become aware of just how easy it is to be typecast in Hollywood. I wouldn't want to be trapped in the quicksand of song-and-dance-only typecasting either, especially because musicals are not always popular or moneymakers. There's nothing wrong with his wanting to show that he is not only a talented song-and-dance man, but that he also has strong acting chops. I'm just sorry that he waited this long into the process to decide he didn't want to do this movie. I hope he isn't viewed as being unreliable or flaky after waiting this long to back out of the movie; and that others aren't loathe to give him script approval in his contracts.
Anonymous Says
I cant believe this, I was so extcited to see Zac in Footloose and now it wont happen. I cant believe that is isnt going to be in HSM 4. I rele am depressed to hear he doesnt want to persuade his singing or dancing as of right now in his life. I feel Zac shouldnt stop. I hope Zac will do a concert one day, I would die to see him. I am a true obessed fan, and would pay to see him in front seatt! =)
WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Says
omg why!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you know bakc then wen fred astaire was in films they were all musicals. wats wrong with musicals that sucks i was really REALLY!!!! looking forward to this and now no more and zac efron i love you tons but there is nothing wrong with being a song and dance man nothing wrong with it at all i love musicals they kick ass... role of footloose truly belong to kevin bacon (original) and zac efron (remake) only!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! no one else!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
duhdough Says
Thank goodness.
He is sweet enough, but rather dull.
Get someone with some edge and personality.
Kyle Riabko would be amazing in this role!
Anonymous Says
Wow that is really disappointing but I can see where he is coming from. I don't even know if this article is true. It might just be a rumor. Oh and Vanessa is not an "occansional" girlfriend. He admits in his recent interview with Interview Magazine that he "has fallen in love." They've been together for over three years.
Anonymous Says
Uhh that would be Hugh Jackman not "Jackson". A three years + and still ongoing relationship does not an occasional girlfriend make. No original cast members are expected to be a part of HSM4.
Somehow I get the feeling this is not nearly as dramatic as this article makes it all sound.
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