A Paramount spokesperson has confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that “Dancing With the Stars” pro and country singer Julianne Hough is screen-testing for the female lead in Footloose. Producer Neil Meron (Hairspray) told the magazine that “It’s a much more singing-intensive movie for the female lead.”
EW goes on to say that the new film, which recently got a rewrite from Erin Brockovich‘s Susannah Grant, will pay homage to the first film — the setting will still be a dance-free town, and the original cast could pop up in cameos.
“The classic hit songs from the movie will be sung,” added producer Craig Zadan, who was also a producer on the 1984 version. “There will be new songs that will be written by new artists, and those will be soundtrack songs.”
Meron explained, “It’s not really a burst-into-song musical. Any songs that are sung are coming out of an organic place.”
Footloose, directed by Kenny Ortega and starring Chace Crawford, is set to start shooting in March of 2010.
