Gay producers, filmmakers collude on Footloose

Variety reports that out producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron will produce a new musical adaptation of the 1984 film Footloose for ABC and that they are turning to Jim Fall and Jason Schafer--the openly gay director and writer, respectively, of Trick--to adapt a screenplay, which Fall would direct. It appears that this version will differ from both the recent Broadway version of Footloose and the original film version, as a production insider tells the trade paper, "It won't be a traditional break-into-song musical. They will break into song, but it will be done in a whole new cinematic way. It's a completely different take." Zadan and Meron are also pushing their TV version of The Music Man back until next March to accommodate the schedule of their leading man, Matthew Broderick, who is currently starring on Broadway in The Producers.