According to the Hollywood Reporter, Gossip Girl heartthrob Chace Crawford has been tapped to star in the remake of Footloose. He will step into the role originally made famous by Kevin Bacon in the 1984 film.
Paramount Pictures said Tuesday that Crawford will star as Ren McCormack, the bad boy in a small town who brings everyone together with his daring moves.
The actor has been considering the part for some time but had yet to officially sign until this week. He had been in contract negotiations and was struggling to make filming work around his Gossip Girl schedule, which is also due to start shooting its third season, a source told Us.
High School Musical star Zac Efron was originally in line to play the part, however, he dropped out of the project earlier this year, citing a desire to delve into "the unknown."
Kenny Ortega, the mastermind behind the High School Musical movies, will direct. Filming is slated to begin in March 2010.
