Talk about exclusives: when I spoke with producer Adam Shankman and director Scott Speer at the junket for “Step Up Revolution 3D” over the weekend, the duo couldn’t resist telling me their idea for the next installment in the lucrative dance-chise.
“We were just talking about how maybe for the next one we would do it…in a swimming pool in space,” said Shankman, who most recently directed Broadway musical adaptation “Rock of Ages.” “Yeah, ‘Swim Up.’ On the international space station…in 3D.”
He was joking, though oddly enough that does sound like a movie I’d kinda like to see.
But let’s not think about the future….let’s focus on the here and now. Because a “Revolution” is going down this weekend, my friends, and you’d better prepare yourself because this is gonna be the biggest, baddest, sexiest, 3D-iest “Step Up” movie yet. Word.
“When you [direct] a chapter in in this franchise, you have that responsibility to wow an audience,” said Speer, a well-known music video helmer who makes his feature debut with the film. “Show them a great time, a great rollercoaster ride…the joy, the triumph, have them dance out of the theater.”
Well, mission accomplished, sir, because that’s exactly what I did. I also nearly cried (seriously), and it’s all thanks to cast member Peter Gallagher.
“That’s a big win,” said Shankman, responding to my confession that I’d nearly lost it during a lyrical film-ending dance sequence that features several close-ups of cast member Gallagher’s misty blue eyes. “I mean, we literally, if you wanna know actually how much we care about these, we struggled with how much, how many frames of him tearing [up], and did a tear actually…? Cause we have that. Maybe that’s on a director’s [cut].”
So, how does Shankman really feel about snagging the “Revolution” subtitle away from the producers of the “Resident Evil” franchise (my own allegation, for which there is absolutely no legal basis)? Find out by watching the rest of our conversation – in addition to snippets of my interview with cast member Stephen “tWitch” Boss and choreographer Jamal Sims – in the video above!
“Step Up Revolution” hits theaters this Friday.
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