Kevin Baconhas recently responded to the question whether a belated return to one of his most loved roles could be on the cards.Footlooseis still one of the actor’s best known roles, and while promoting not just his role inBeverly Hills Cop: Axel F, but horror sequelMaXXXine, the movie was mentioned on multiple occasions. It is hardly surprising considering his role as Ren McCormack in Footloose is one ofhis most iconic ’80s performance.
Bacon has been fairly vocal in the past about wanting to reprise his role as Valentine McKee fromTremors(which was shot in 1989). But, when it comes toFootloose, he very much wants to leave the film’s legacy exactly where it is. While speaking withCinemaBlend, the topic of aFootlooselegacy revival was brought up, and the beloved actor’s answer was probably about as blunt a response as you could want.
Ren is not coming back.
Bacon went on to elaborate that it’s not as if the IP has been relegated solely to the original 1984 film. He referenced the remake, but there’s also been a successful stage musical based on the film. In Bacon’s words:
I mean, they did do another Footloose. I don’t think a lot of people saw it, but they did do another Footloose. To me, I’m not that interested in…I don’t know. I think that this one [Beverly Hills Cop] makes a lot more sense.
Would a Footlose Legacy Project Even Work?
Footlooseis a less sequel-friendly work thanBeverly Hills Cop, orTremors, for that matter. In fact, Bacondidreprise his role asTremors' McKee in a 2018 TV series, but multiple networks, including Syfy, quite oddly passed on it. So, it’s not as if Bacon is in general opposed to reprising his most iconic roles, he just (accurately) believes thatFootlooseis a singular narrative and should be left as such.
Kevin Bacon Recalls ‘Trippy Experience’ Of Seeing His Footloose Audition Tape
Kevin Bacon may be four decades down the road, but he can probably still cut loose. However seeing his Footloose audition tape was a ‘trippy’ moment.
The original film still receives a lot of play on TV, not to mention its presence on streaming services. So, for those who want a taste of McCormack’s story and the music that fuels it, there’s plenty of opportunity to do so. And that’s not even factoring in the underrated 2011 remake (which made a profit at the box office) or the stage version, which has been performed across the world for over 25 years.
In other words, some things are better left as is. AndFootlooseis apparently one of those things. It’s a product of its time in the best way possible, and a legacy sequel project would only detract from its still-present power. Anyway, if someone wants to see Bacon dance, they couldjust head over to his Instagram.
