Closing in on its 40-year anniversary, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is about to undergo a transformation. In order to commemorate an extraordinary existence – it holds the title of longest theatrical run of any movie – a two-hour live event is heading to the small screen.
This newest iteration hails from Fox, who is revamping the cult classic musical for what’s being described as “a reimagining of the campy horror feature.” On board to usher this live extravaganza to the screen are High School Musical‘s Kenny Ortega, who will direct and choreograph the reboot, with Buffy/Angel alum Gail Berman and original producer Lou Adler both tapped to executive produce.
Per Deadline, the reboot “is expected to stick faithfully to the text and the score of the original but greatly reimagine the story visually.” That overview certainly offers Ortega a wide berth to re-appropriate the source material and hopefully put a modern spin on the tale. The original 1975 movie, based on the 1973 musical by Richard O’Brien, sunk at the box office upon release, only later earning the ‘cult’ tag after it gained notoriety from countless midnight screenings across the country.
With an upswing in live TV programming events over the last few years, it will be worth keeping an eye on The Rocky Horror Picture Show event to see how it translates to the small screen.
As always, we’ll keep you posted with more news on the show as it develops.