“Footloose” Remake May Have Its Dancing Rebel

I saw “Footloose” 90 times when I was a kid because when you’re a kid, you have enough time to watch a movie you don’t even like over and over again. Also, I was a big fan of anger dancing. I’M ANGRY AND I’M DANCING OUT MY AGGRESSION. Anyway, Hollywood is remaking “Footloose” because it has nothing better to do, and the LA Times says they’ve zeroed in on actor Thomas Dekker to fill Kevin Bacon’s presumably loose shoes.

There's been almost as much song-and-dance over the casting for the new "Footloose" as there is in the movie itself.

With "Gossip Girl" star Chace Crawford out, the search is on once again for the lead role, with one name emerging as a top candidate: Thomas Dekker.

The 22-year-old actor, who came to prominence on both "Heroes" and "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," has been making a nice film run lately. He most recently starred both in the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" remake and is coming off a strong showing in the well-received Cannes movie "Kaboom." (Plus he's got the "Footloose"-ready hair.)

Does he? I’m not entirely sure. That photo on the Times’ website makes him look like Adam Lambert’s waterboy. I watched Dekker on “Heroes,” where he played a small but noticeable role as Claire’s good friend, and I guess he was okay. But it’s hard for any actor to replicate the sheer Baconness of Kevin Bacon. Hell, they could just recast Bacon in the role if they felt like it. The guy has Bob Costas’ anti-aging powers.

This new “Footloose” will be directed by Craig Brewer, who did “Hustle & Flow.” Presumably, Brewer was hired to bring a dose of gritty realism to a movie about teenagers rising up against a town that’s outlawed dancing. But Dekker doesn’t quite match that aesthetic. He’s got a very soft look, which isn’t a knock against him. It’s something the producers were probably looking for, to try and match the light and airy vibe that “Glee” currently gives off. The question is if Brewer’s hard edges will fight against that, or if he and Dekker will come together to make the new “Footloose” fresh and original. I dunno, but so as long they got some anger dancing, people will turn up.

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