Ryan Murphy – creator of Glee and director of Eat Pray Love – has been approached to direct a remake of the 1975 cult classic Rocky Horror Picture Show.
According to Deadline, Fox 2000 are courting Murphy to helm the long-rumoured re-imagining of flick, which documents one fateful evening at Dr. Frank N. Furter’s castle.
Jim Sharman‘s Rocky Horror Picture Show was an adaptation of the British stage show of the same name. It debuted in 1975, and was met with poisonous reviews and lackluster box office. However, the film eventually developed a passionate following, and by 1977 it had became a hit at midnight screenings. The film remains the record-holder for having the longest-running theatrical release in history.
Murphy likely shot to the top of Fox’s wish list when he announced there would be a Rocky Horror episode of Glee in the show’s second season.
However, I’m not sure if that makes Murphy the best candidate for the job.
Rocky Horror Picture Show is trashy, raucous, raunchy and deliriously weird. Glee is earnest, sweet-natured and naïve. Both are wonderful in their own unique way, but besides musical numbers, they don’t share a lot in common.
Also, the success of Rocky Horror Picture Show is not something that can be easily replicated. As mentioned, it was despised by most upon release, and only over time has its reputation evolved from “disaster” to “classic”. I can’t imagine a remake would be able to recapture the film’s intangible magic.
Murphy has quite a few other projects on the table, so it’s unknown how much free time he’ll have to direct the Rocky Horror redux.
More news as it develops.
Discuss: Should they remake Rocky Horror?
