’80s Classic ‘Flashdance’ to Get a TV Reboot
Living in this age of reboots and remakes, it’s sometimes hard to discern fact from rumor. But there’s another cult classic film that just received its official resurrection stamp, and it is an ’80s pop culture gem.
Put on some leg warmers and a leotard because Flashdance is coming to a small screen near you.
‘Flashdance’ receives reboot green light on streaming service
If anyone needed a reason to blast “What a Feeling” or “Maniac,” now there’s a legit one.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount is moving forward with a fresh Flashdance TV series that will air on its Paramount+ streaming network. A script is currently in development from Tracy McMillan.
The film was originally released by Paramount Pictures in 1983 and starred Jennifer Beals as Alex Owens, an ambitious woman who worked as a Pittsburgh welder by day and moonlighted as a stripper by night.
She had dreams of becoming a professional ballerina and her future was hinged on one big audition. By the end of the movie, she had romance and fulfilled dreams.
This new series will be a modern spin on the story, and per THR, will focus on “a young Black woman with ballet dreams and a strip club reality who struggles to find her place in the world while navigating romance, money, art, friendship and how to love herself.”
Flashdance earned more than $150 million at the box office, earned an Oscar for Best Original Song, and won a Grammy for the soundtrack. It was the third highest-grossing film of 1983.
There was a ‘Flashdance’ musical
Back in 2008, Flashdance creator Tom Hedley adapted the original film into a stage play. The production premiered in the U.K. and toured the region until 2011 before crossing the ocean for a run in the U.S. from 2012 to 2014. Though there were plans for a Broadway show, things fizzled out and never got back on track.
However, Flashdance the Musical enjoyed a streak in Canada, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and Paris before wrapping up in 2018 with another turn in the U.K.
Controversy behind ‘Flashdance’ movie
An extensive piece from Buzzfeed in 2014 exposed a controversial backstory for Flashdance’s origins. According to the article, Hedley gleaned parts of the story from exotic dancers at Gimlets, a local club in Toronto where he met Gina Healey and Maureen Marder. Marder had a day job as a construction worker.
It’s alleged that Hedley arranged for Healey, Marder, and another dancer to work with a local photography/costume studio to create a “mood board” for Hedley’s script that was sent to a Los Angeles production company. He sold the script to Paramount in 1981.
Per Buzzfeed, the dancers and photography team (a married couple named Zabol) were not credited for the movie, and allegedly, Healey and Marder signed their life rights away along with a confidentiality agreement to Paramount for $2,300.
Hedley denied that Alex Owens was based on Marder or Healey and claimed to have no knowledge of the women’s arrangement with Paramount. In 2014, they were ready to share their story even though they risked legal ramifications. Many still don’t know about Marder and Healey’s story, and there’s no word on whether the new series will acknowledge these women.
In the meantime, fans can stream Flashdance on Amazon Prime, YouTube, or iTunes.
