Here is a story from the “Who thought this was a good idea?” file.
MTV is looking at producing a made-for-television remake of the 1975 cult classic Rocky Horror Picture Show. Variety reports that the film’s original producer Lou Adler is teaming with the production outfit BermanBraun and Fox Television Studios for the project. The new film will use the screenplay by Jim Sharman and the original stage production’s creator Richard O’Brien as a basis for the new script. The new film may feature music not included in the original film. It sounds like the stage play’s song “Once In A While,” cut from the film version, may be making a come back.
No cast or director have been announced.
This is not the first time that a Rocky Horror remake has been announced. A made for television version was in the works back in 2002 for the Fox Network. Not so coincidentally, Gail Berman, the Berman half of BermanBraun, was head of programming back at Fox when the network was developing the project.
A long time Rocky fan, and a former semi-frequent midnight showing attendee, I have to say that this is a terrible idea. As a satire, the film is very much a product of its time. Will the behavior of a bi-sexual mad scientist be as shocking to today’s audiences as it was when the film first came out? Half the fun of the film is seeing it at a midnight screening with a rowdy crowd. How are you going to replicate that with a version that will play in people’s living rooms?
And in all honesty, is there a performance in the original that can be truly improved upon? Does anyone actually have the temerity to try and fill Tim Curry’s high heels?
