Zac Efron Drops "Footloose" Remake

NEW YORK — Zac Efron has dropped out of his role in a remake of "Footloose."

Paramount Pictures says the "High School Musical" heartthrob is no longer attached to the upcoming film. The studio did not give a reason in its Tuesday statement, but said it remains committed to director Kenny Ortega and producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

Efron soared to stardom in the "High School Musical" franchise as music-loving jock Troy. The 21-year-old actor sang and danced in the 2007 movie musical "Hairspray," and was primed to bust some moves in the update of the 1984 classic "Footloose."

Efron stars as a middle-aged guy who wakes up as his teenaged self in "17 Again," slated for release April 17.

Comments

[StringOfLights]

Why do we need a remake of Footloose?

[Lovelydaze]

YAY!

[UncleJimbo]

Maybe he can sing and dance and can't really act!?

[MajorKong]

At what point did a remake of Footloose start to seem like a good idea?

[dizzypdx]

Never

[littlepuffycloud]

No one could touch Kevin Bacon's, John Lithgow's or Chris Penn's performances in Footloose. Anytime I stumble onto Footloose on tv, I cannot help myself. I have to watch it. I have to watch the finale. The dancing, the falling glitter, the tight acid-washed jeans...it's all too perfectly 80's. It's a sickness I guess.

[broody]

Zac rocks. Check out his photo galleries:
http://celeb9.com/celeb/Zac_Efron/photo/7445/gallery

[SkuddGobang]

What? No Newsies remake?

[UncleJimbo]

I'd love to hear Bale sing "Santa Fe" in the Bat-Voice!

[lattedrinker]

What the hell, are there not enough laid-off writers that can come up with movie scripts rather than just taking something from the past and absolutely destroying it? I am so sick and tired of these played-out "Let's remake *insert movie here*".

[robXdion]

Let it stay in the 80s!!!