It's been 40 years since Ren McCormack drove his yellow '72 Volkswagen Beetle into Bomont, Indiana to fight city hall and end the town's ban on public dancing. While a great deal has changed in small-town America over four decades, our love for this 1984 classic has not. In 2011, Craig Brewer directed a remake which remained fairly true to the original film and received positive praise from critics and audiences. Are we ready to cut loose with a legacy sequel after all these years?
One person that seems open to the suggestion is Lori Singer, who starred in the original as Ariel Moore; the hell-raising preacher's daughter and object of Ren's affection. In a recent interview with People Magazine, the actress, 66, shares her idea for a sequel that reunites her character with Kevin Bacon's Ren.
www.lorisinger.com Lori Singer Footloose 1984
Lori Singer's Idea For a Sequel
In Singer's proposed sequel story, Ariel Moore made good on her claim to Ren that she was going away. Her plan to leave small-town life behind to pursue her dreams in the big city would take her to New York. Ren McCormack would have stayed behind, growing up and finding his place among Bomont's prominent citizens as a successful lawyer. What would bring these two back together? Tragedy.
Ariel coming home to make amends with her sick father (played to perfection by John Lithgow in the original) would be the opportunity she needs to make her way back to Ren and what could have been.
May We Cut In?
Here at A Film By..., we're always happy to share ideas for sequels, prequels, and remakes. Building upon the idea that Singer has shared, we'd offer the following three ideas to help audiences, both old and new, to kick off their Sunday shoes.
1. Kyra Sedgwick in the role of Ren's current estranged wife.
- We're not about to believe that Ren has been single all these years. Let's give him a strong-willed woman that's shared a life with him for so long that the passion has burned out. Would Ariel's homecoming be the spark needed to reignite it? One thing for certain, Ren's dance card would be full!
2. Legacy characters are required.
- Ariel is coming home to see her sick father? We demand John Lithgow reprise his role as Reverend Shaw Moore. Furthermore, his dutiful wife had better be by his side, so call Dianne Wiest. If you really want some nostalgia points, we won't say no to one scene with Ren's mom, played by Francis Lee McCain.
3. A soundtrack with various artists.
- The soundtrack for Footloose in 1984 was one of the best albums of the year and featured an incredible lineup of recording artists. We would expect the same for a legacy sequel! It's a given that some of today's top talent will be recruited to lend a song, but we sure wouldn't mind calling in some familiar voices like Bonnie Tyler, or Kenny Loggins to record new music. Actually, Loggins HAS to be involved. No Loggins and we riot.
How Likely Could It Happen?
Singer's idea was one she conceived years ago, and entertains as we celebrate the film's 40th anniversary. As for Kevin Bacon's take? On his Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon Podcast, he recently answered a fan inquiring about the potential of a Footloose sequel. His response was, "Never say never [but] I believe it would be a disaster."
Do you share Kevin's opinion? I'm not so sure. Attempting to recapture the magic of the original film would be almost as difficult as teaching Willard how to dance, but if it gives us a chance to see Bacon, 65, dance his way into movie theaters again, then I'd say let's hear it for the boy!
