Although Maria Maggenti was tapped to write the Dirty Dancing remake, Lionsgate now wants a new pass from someone that isn’t the Monte Carlo scribe. Variety has just reported that the company has now hired Glee co-creator Brad Flachuk to rewrite the screenplay.
High School Musical helmer, Kenny Ortega, will be directing the remake which will “incorporate classic songs from the 1960s, hits from the original film and brand new compositions.” Ortega also worked on the original classic as the film’s choreographer. Elanor Bergstein, who wrote and co-produced the original musical, will also be producing the remake alongside The Princess Diaries‘ Martin Chase.
I think it’s a pretty smart move to hire Flachuk considering the success Glee has had over the past few years and his rising stardom in Hollywood. He obviously understands the intended demographic as well as the musical aspect that the film calls for. Although I’m not really the biggest fan of the original, or the news of this remake for that matter, it’s something that we’ll all have to get used to.
There hasn’t been any word of who will play the iconic characters of Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman and Johnny Castle, which were made famous by Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze back in 1987. I’m sure we’ll get word relatively soon, as Lionsgate has scheduled the release for July 26th, 2013.
What do you think of this scribe related news for the Dirty Dancing remake?