Craig Brewer takes over for Ryan Gosling on suddenly-less-sexy Idolmaker remake

By A.A. Dowd | March 7, 2014 | 10:41pm

Aux Features Film

Securing his position as the new go-to guy for remakes of ’80s movies about singing and dancing and so forth, Hustle & Flow director Craig Brewer has decided to chase his basically scene-for-scene Footloose update with a modern take on Taylor Hackford’s The Idolmaker. The original, which starred Ray Sharkey as a rock promoter loosely based on Bob Marcucci, is one of several Reagan-era properties MGM has been trying—and, in some cases, succeeding—to carbon copy for a new generation of moviegoers.

For a while, it looked as though Ryan Gosling was going to be the idol-remaker, but he’s since walked away to direct Drive costar Christina Hendricks in what sounds like a film about Atlantis or something. Sensing, perhaps, that the switch in directors has severely reduced the film’s behind-the-scenes heartthrob factor, MGM has tapped Justin Timberlake to produce. Maybe if The Idolmaker is a hit, the director and producer can reteam to tackle another of those proposed MGM reboots, Mr. Mom. Who wouldn’t want to see Timberlake trade his suit and tie for a hilaaaaaarious checkered apron?