Zac Efron Finds ‘Life’ After ‘Footloose’

After bailing out of starring in a remake of Footloose for Paramount Pictures, High School Musical star Zac Efron is in negotiations to stick with his 17 Again helmer, Burr Steers, for a filmed adaptation of the novel “The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud.”

Former “Good Morning America” exec producer Ben Sherwood wrote the book, about a caretaker at a cemetery who manages to have weekly meetings with a younger brother whose accidental death he feels was his fault.

While Efron’s deal is still in negotiations Steers is set and has already begun polishing a script originally written by Craig Pearce with production already scheduled to begin in July.

Efron will be seen opposite Matthew Perry in 17 Again, which looks like some sort of alt-Big rip-off, on April 17.

As for the abandoned Footloose project Paramount is looking for replacement actors as a script rewrite was recently turned in by Susannah Grant, and the studio is firming up music plans. Four songs from the original film will be used, and six new tunes will be added, from various artists. The film will not be a burst-into-song musical, though the heroine in the new film will be a singer.