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About a year ago, in May of 2009, we learned that Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford had signed on to play the lead role of Ren McCormack in the planned updated remake of the classic 1980′s film Footloose (which stars Kevin Bacon in the lead). But today we learn from Entertainment Weekly that Crawford has decided to pull out of starring in the film due to his obligations to filming new episodes of Gossip Girl. At this point, there has been no decision on who would replace him … and considering that Kenny Ortega has also pulled out of directing the film, it may be time to rethink this whole thing. Tho, EW reports that the studio is still committed to making this remake:

Looks like Chace Crawford won’t be filling Kevin Bacon’s shoes after all in the remake of the iconic 1984 movie Footloose. Crawford’s rep has confirmed that the Gossip Girl hottie has backed out of the dance-loving lead in the remake. Sources tell EW.com that the studio is now likely to cast an unknown, possibly launching a nationwide search for the role. (Previously, Zac Efron was attached to the role but dropped out to avoid being typecast as the musicals guy.) Paramount declined to comment but one source tells EW.com that the culprit this time is Gossip Girl’s shooting schedule. The frothy CW show is scheduled to resume production in July, but Paramount is hoping to get Footloose into production sometime this summer, and Crawford can’t do both at once. Although Crawford signed on to the film about a year ago, almost everything else about the project has changed since then. About five months after Crawford joined the cast, director Kenny Ortega dropped off the film, saying he was “exhausted” from his frenetic work on the Michael Jackson concert film This is It. Once that happened, the studio abandoned its most recent rewrite from Erin Brockovich screenwriter Susannah Grant. Writer/director Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow) penned a rewrite. Brewer’s redo, which some say is closer to the original film — about a town that’s outlawed dance and music — has been fully embraced by Paramount chief Adam Goodman. Sources say Goodman and Co. would like Brewer to direct the film, but Brewer is already committed to helm Mother Trucker for New Regency. Meanwhile, Dancing With the Stars alum Julianne Hough is still lined up to portray the lead character’s love interest, portrayed in the original by Lori Singer.

IF this remake has to be made, maybe it’s for the best that an unknown actor play the role. With an unknown actor in the lead, there is a chance that this remake might be able to keep some of the innocent spirit of the original film. It’s been my belief from the beginning, tho, that this Footloose remake is a bad idea. I cannot see how the Footloose storyline could capture the imagination of today’s young audience (which is why casting Chace Crawford was a really good chance at attracting that audience anyway) and would, most likely, not satisfy older fans of the original film. If this whole idea died in pre-production, I wouldn’t mind one bit. Considering how many things are going wrong with the film, mebbe the universe is putting its foot down? What do y’all think … should Paramount continue to move forward with this planned Footloose remake?

[Photo credit: Ethan Says; Source]