Director Kenny Ortega quits "Footloose" production

10/26/2009
Ingrid Bergquist
Failed attempts to increase budget for the "Footloose" remake, result in Kenny Ortega leaving production.

Following Zac Efron's footsteps, director Kenny Ortega left the "Footloose" movie for good this week, according to Variety.

Ortega, who choreographed "Dirty Dancing" and directed "High School Musical" and the expected box office hit "Michael Jackson's This is It," backed out of the project after Paramount studio refused to increase the budget to around $30 million. Apparently Ortega wanted elaborate dance routines and Paramount is more interested in an edgier film drama and a lower budget of about $25 million or less.

Ortega released a statement that after finishing such a big release as "‘This is It' it would be premature to commit to his next film" and thus he will no longer be working on "Footloose.

" Earlier this year Zac Efron quit the "Footloose" production, as he was tired of acting in musicals. Since then Efron has committed himself to movies such as "17 Again" and "Me and Orson Welles."

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