Fox Developing ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ Remake
Campy cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show is close to turning 40 and fans can soon celebrate the milestone with an upcoming TV remake. Kenny Ortega (High School Musical, Hocus Pocus) has been tapped to direct and choreograph the project, which is currently in development with Fox.
According to Deadline, the two-hour The Rocky Horror Picture Show Event, as it is tentatively titled, will be a “reimagining” of the feature where book and score will remain untouched, but the visuals will be reworked. Lou Adler, who produced the original film, will produce the remake alongside executive producer Gail Berman, who has been working on bringing the project forward since 2002.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show had originally been a musical titled The Rocky Horror Show, with book and score by Richard O’Brien. O’Brien starred in the 1975 film as Riff Raff, a henchman, alongside Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick and Meat Loaf. Since its release, the tale of a fresh-faced, newly engaged couple stumbling across the wrong house after their car breaks down has found a life of its own. The film still screens in theaters around the world with amateur actors and fans acting out the scenes in front of the screen as attendees either use props or shouts to interact with the film.
Televised remakes of classic musical films have become more prevalent in recent years, especially following NBC’s success with its live performance of The Sound of Music. NBC will air a live remake of The Wiz, the reimagined, Motown-affiliated take on The Wizard of Oz, on December 3rd.