High School Musical star Zac Efron has been trying to remake his career of late. After Hairspray, in which he also played a singing, dancing, squeaky-clean teenager, he decided to really break out of his mold, and took the lead role in the film 17 Again, in which he plays a middle-aged dad magically beamed into the body of … a squeaky-clean teenager. (Hey hey! No singing and dancing, unless you count incessant, involuntary bang-tossing.) He was briefly supposed to play the lead role in the remake of Footloose, which will have the characters singing the songs from the iconic film’s soundtrack. He turned down this role for being too much in character with his previous roles, and it was later happily scooped up by similarly eyebrowed young heartthrob Chace Crawford.
And today, courtesy of the London Sun, we learn the news that he will team up with American Idol producer Simon Cowell to remake Saturday Night Fever, the film that turned John Travolta into a star. The story is based on a New York Magazine article from 1976, Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night.
Yes, you read that right. Zac Efron, who is trying to be less goofy and gay-seeming, plans to squeeze into a tight white suit and disco dance, with the help of the producer of America’s most blandly popular pop-music show. Sure, Fever had its dark moments, but after Cowell’s done with it, we really doubt we’ll be seeing any drugs or near-rape scenes. Zac, a word of advice: It took John Travolta seventeen years, three movies with Kirstie Alley, and one gimp in a basement to start getting serious roles again. Back away from the polyester, Zac — even though we know it’s going to take all your willpower.
Cowell to remake Saturday Night Fever [Sun UK]
Related: Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night [NYM]
