TV network Fox has lurched along for years with efforts to broadcast a new production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and although it was originally scheduled to enter production in 2002, it has finally been given the green light to start filming. Kenny Ortega is in as director. Ortega’s many past credits include High School Musical and Hocus Pocus (director) and Dirty Dancing (choreographer).
The first casting choice has been set as well: Laverne Cox will play what is the biggest role of her career to date, the evil and very horny scientist, Dr. Frank-N-Furter.
It is a gamble for both the network and Cox.
Rocky Horror, Richard O’Brien’s send-up of science fiction and horror movies, was first produced as a stage musical in 1973, and was adapted for the big screen in 1975. That filmed version, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, continues to play in movie theaters around the U.S. and is worshipped as an American camp classic: so bad that it’s good, especially when enjoyed at midnight, perhaps under the influence of alcohol or other mildly mind-altering substances, and in the company of assortment fans who have somehow learned lines to shout at the screen as if they are part of the script, as well as choreography to dance in the theater during the songs.
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The character of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, who sings about being “a sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania,” has traditionally been played by a male actor who adds various gender-bending flourishes. Bringing in Cox, an advocate for transgender equality, adds an intriguing twist to the role. But it is going to take more than the intrigue of Cox’s own backstory to make an entertaining movie.
Recreating Frank-N-Furter presents quite a challenge for Cox: fans have been watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show over and over for 40 years, and even people who haven’t seen it for a decade or two still associate the role of Frank-N-Furter with the actor who played the part in the movie, Tim Curry, with him squeezed into that black corset and stomping around singing at the top of his lungs. Curry’s larger-than-life performance made the role both ridiculous and magnificent, and giving Frank-n-Furter a new identity is the first step on the path to disaster. It could be argued that Curry and Rocky Horror are inseparable; without Curry in that role raising hell and causing a ruckus, the entire thing would have simply been a boring, forgettable flop. (Side note: Curry, who has enjoyed one of Hollywood’s greatest runs as a character actor with parts such as Rooster in Annie (1982), The Lord of Darkness in Legend (1985), Pennywise the Clown in It (1990) and Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island (1996), suffered a debilitating stroke in 2013.)
The other roles — ingenue Janet, bumbling Brad, creepy Magenta and Columbia and Riff Raff — will be easier to cast. For instance, Kristen Bell may decide to stop counting her Frozen money and play Janet, in a return to the world of camp musical theater, as she was ever-so-amazing in the TV adaptation of the must-see Reefer Madness.
Even though Cox is a dynamic, powerful actor, she will have to rise to a new level of theatricality if she has any chance of being entertaining. Cox has turned in some great scenes in Orange Is The New Black, but when called upon to expand her acting range, such as in her small role for the 2015 film Grandma, she was…okay. She looked gorgeous, but she just said her lines and smiled and she was fine. Dr. Frank-N-Furter needs a lot more than “fine” and “okay.”
There is also the issue of the singing. Rocky Horror Picture Show is a musical. Can Cox sing?
Presenting Exhibit A, which is hopefully not indicative of things to come (at least she’s better than Serena Williams):
SeeingAll
Who’ll play Rocky ?
KiraNerysRules
Um. I think Serena was way better than Laverne. Not even a competition.
ingyaom
A trans-woman named Frank? Isn’t it “sweet transvestite”, not “trans-sexual”?
lauraspencer
No need for a remake. If anyone wants to see the film there are plenty of theatres across the country that show it still to this day. Go watch the film.
Doug
I agree, lauraspencer. You can already tell this is going to be a flop, especially if they have to remake it for television. Laverne Cox is not a good choice for the role.
Ummmm Yeah
No need for a remake and no transgenders in transvestite roles. They throw a fit when anyone else plays transgender so they are just being hypocrites for trying now for not complaining about her getting this role.
stranded
I don’t see it. I mean she’s great on Orange…, but I really don’t see her in this role.
alphacentauri
Ugh, a remake of RHPS is pointless as the original is fine. Plus, the character is supposed to be male, and not a she male/transwoman.
Kevin Wotipka
“Plus, the character is supposed to be male, and not a she male/transwoman.”
Doesn’t have to be.
JessPH
Dr Frankenstein is not a transgender but a transvestite! And he sings in a MALE voice. How the hell is Cox going to pull that?
Jess Lopez
No! Dr Frankenstein is a transvestite and not a transgender. And he sings in a male voice. How the hell could Cox do that? HORRIBLE CASTING.
SarcasaticMisanthrope
This has got to be the stupidest thing ever. Laverne Cox is not all that.
Joe
A TV remake of “Rocky Horror?” Kinda’ of a no brainier of an idiotic idea. Love Laverne though!
aliengod
Yuck!
SeeingAll
I want Nick Jonas to play Frank N Furter. THAT would be worth watching.
Masc Pride
@lauraspencer: Good point.
@Ummmm Yeah: Good point.
@SarcasaticMisanthrope: Agreed.
@aliengod: Agreed.
tricky ricky
well, this answers the eternal question of does laverne cox still have a d*ck.
Tracy Pope
Frank-N-Furter is a male transvestite. Why is a woman playing the role?** That crap about a man or a woman can play the opposite sex would be a valid argument if this all didn’t sound like a marketing ploy. Having someone who is trans – which arguably accounts for some of Mx Cox renown – play a male person who is the “T” word (Don’t care about what anyone tries to convince everyone else what it means – it always meant transvestite) seems a very odd choice. Maybe all the roles will be reversed. That would be interesting…
**This isn’t a misogynistic rant a la Brian/Bryan.
Garth
@SeeingAll: For sure !
AtticusBennett
she’ll probably be freaking amazing in the role.
and a happy note: the bigoted comments in here are all from pathetic anonymous wimps. enjoy your sad-sack loser lives, you broken boys! Cox is out, proud and your seething disdain for her won’t knock her one bit.
darian
I’m open to see what a more modern version of this will look like.
@AtticusBennett: Don’t even waste your energy on them you’ll hate that you did. Also congrats on your new prime minister. I’m thinking of getting Canadian citizenship hahaha.
Tracy Pope
@tricky ricky: That’s irrelevant.
@AtticusBennett:The role is a male transvestite. Mx Cox is neither. That’s not bigoted.
Also, I’m not questioning her acting ability. I’m questioning the reason for the decision to cast a woman. I think it’s odd that a trans woman was chosen to play a male transvestite. They’re not the same thing but a lot of people think it is and this wouldn’t help to change their minds.
inbama
@AtticusBennett:
Check out The Advocate’s take on this – the Transgenders are furious and saying the absolute same thing.
Don’t be so quick to hate your gay brothers.
Tobi
…an American camp classic… It’s a British camp classic, shot at Bray, Elstree and Oakley Court in England. *sigh*
inbama
@Tobi:
Yep. Music & lyrics by Brit Richard O’Brien who, according to Wiki, “has married three times and has three children. In a 2009 interview he spoke about an ongoing struggle to reconcile cultural gender roles and described himself as being transgender or possible third sex.”
alphacentauri
So..its a woman pretending to be a man who dresses like a woman.
What a lousy idea.
Why do they do this stuff?
Hopefully this goes nowhere, just like the last time they announced a remake.
It’s not being ‘bigoted’ to say how Laverne Cox is a poor choice for RHPS which does not need to be remade into a tame TV movie.
alphacentauri
@AtticusBennett: LMAO nice try loser troll. You really do need to get some new lines/routines. FYI I don’t think this remake is a good idea at all and it has nothing to do with Cox being trans. Also it’s silly of you to assume everyone that’s against this is closeted. I’ve been out as bisexual for decades longer than you have been out as gay.