Zac Efron Bows Out of 'Footloose' Remake

I have really only seen Zac Efron working twice, in Hairspray and in last year's High School Musical 3. Hairspray is a group victory and HSM3 is kind of middling work, but hate the teenybop phenomenon all you want - the kid's got talent. That much is not just evident, it's obvious. And you would think he'd love to break out on his own into a high-profile project to showcase that talent. But Efron has apparently walked away from a new version of Footloose being mounted by Paramount. The Wrap cites sources within the production who say that Efron stepped down from the title role last week, even though he had script approval on the project. The reason: He didn't want to do another musical. Tough to blame someone for not wanting to be typecast, particularly at such a young age. I think Zac probably realizes that more than not wanting to do a musical, he doesn't even need to. He can make more of an impression doing something else. However, he should've thought of that before an entire big budget movie was thrust on his shoulders. Paramount confirmed his departure, releasing the following statement:

"Footloose is a project we've longed to see re-booted for a new generation. While Zac is no longer attached, we remain excited and committed to the collective brain trust of Kenny Ortega, Neil Meron and Craig Zaden, who will reinvigorate the franchise. Their fresh take on the film will undoubtedly be filled with the same kind of breakout performances that we’ve come to expect from them.”