History Trivia / Footloose

** ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'': In ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'', ''Footloose'' is Peter Quill's favorite movie, and he considers Kevin Bacon to be "Earth's Greatest Hero". In ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', when Franchise/SpiderMan recognizes a reference to the film, Quill asks if it's still considered the greatest movie ever made back on Earth (Spidey responds [[TakeThat "it never was"]]). ''Film/TheGuardiansOfTheGalaxyHolidaySpecial'' revolves around Drax and Mantis kidnapping the real Kevin Bacon to give Peter a good Christmas present.

* ReferencedBy: ''Series/YoungSheldon'': In "Crappy Frozen Ice Cream and an Organ Grinder's Monkey", Missy watches it and relates with it due to Mary forbidding her to go to the school dance.

* MidDevelopmentGenreShift: Creator/MichaelCimino's proposed re-imagination of the film was said to be a musical-comedy inspired by ''Literature/TheGrapesOfWrath''.

* TroubledProduction: Perfectionist Creator/MichaelCimino -- apparently having not learned his lesson from the ''Film/HeavensGate'' debacle -- went vastly over budget on this film before he'd even shot a single frame of footage, requiring him to be fired as director and replaced with Herbert Ross.

** As mentioned earlier, Creator/MichaelCimino was originally chosen to direct, provided that he wouldn't go over budget and that he would deliver the film on schedule. However, Cimino demanded to halt production just weeks before shooting began until he rewrote the script as a much darker drama - he later described his concept as a "musical inspired by ''Literature/TheGrapesOfWrath'' where Ren would be part of a family of itinerant workers who settle in Beaumont and are persecuted by Reverend Moore and the townspeople. (How the dancing ban would fit into this, he didn't bother to explain.) Dean Pitchford claims that he went through ''twenty-two'' drafts trying to accommodate Cimino, none of which the latter found acceptable. Besides which, Cimino asked for another 250,000 dollars besides his agreed salary for the trouble of doing all this. The studio heads then had flashbacks of the ''Film/HeavensGate'' debacle going through their heads, panicked and proceeded to get rid of Cimino as fast as they could.

* MethodActing: With the Principal's knowledge, 24-year-old Creator/KevinBacon attended the Payson Utah High School as "Ren [=McCormack=]", a transfer student from Philadelphia to get into his role. With his narrow tie and new-wave haircut, he was treated pretty much like in the film. Bacon gratefully left with the location scouts on the afternoon of the first day.

** As mentioned earlier, Creator/MichaelCimino was originally chosen to direct, provided that he wouldn't go over budget and that he would deliver the film on schedule. However, Cimino demanded to halt production just weeks before shooting began until he rewrote the script as a much darker drama - he later described his concept as a "musical inspired by ''Literature/TheGrapesOfWrath'' where Ren would be part of a family of itinerant workers who settle in Bomont and are persecuted by Reverend Moore and the townspeople. (How the dancing ban would fit into this, he didn't bother to explain.) Dean Pitchford claims that he went through ''twenty-two'' drafts trying to accommodate Cimino, none of which the latter found acceptable. Besides which, Cimino asked for another 250,000 dollars besides his agreed salary for the trouble of doing all this. The studio heads then had flashbacks of the ''Film/HeavensGate'' debacle going through their heads, panicked and proceeded to get rid of Cimino as fast as they could.

** As mentioned earlier, Creator/MichaelCimino was originally chosen to direct, provided that he wouldn't go over budget and that he would deliver the film on schedule. However, Cimino demanded to halt production just weeks before shooting began until he rewrote the script as a much darker drama - he later described his concept as a "musical inspired by ''Literature/TheGrapesOfWrath'' where Ren would be part of a family of itinerant workers who settle in Bomont and are persecuted by Reverend Moore and the townspeople. (How the dancing ban would fit into this, he didn't bother to explain.) Dean Pitchford claims that he and Cimino went through ''twenty-two'' drafts while the latter was attached as director. Besides which, Cimino asked for another 250,000 dollars besides his agreed salary for the trouble of doing all this. The studio heads then had flashbacks of the ''Film/HeavensGate'' debacle going through their heads, panicked and proceeded to get rid of Cimino as fast as they could.

** As mentioned earlier, Creator/MichaelCimino was originally chosen to direct, provided that he wouldn't go over budget and that he would deliver the film on schedule. However, Cimino demanded to halt production just weeks before shooting began until he rewrote the script as a much darker drama besides asking for another 250,000 dollars besides his agreed salary for the trouble of doing all this. The studio heads then had flashbacks of the ''Film/HeavensGate'' debacle going through their heads, panicked and proceeded to get rid of Cimino as fast as they could.

* AFIS100Years100Songs:
** #96, "Footloose"

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The film features [[NothingButHits so many hits]] from the 80s that it seems like it would have to have been made after the fact, looking back on the decade. In reality, it was made in 1984.

** As mentioned earlier, Creator/MichaelCimino was originally chosen to direct ''Footloose'', provided that he wouldn't go over budget and that he would deliver the film on schedule. However, Cimino demanded to halt production just weeks before shooting began until he rewrote the script as a much darker drama besides asking for another 250,000 dollars besides his agreed salary for the trouble of doing all this. The studio heads then had flashbacks of the ''HeavensGate'' debacle going through their heads, panicked and proceeded to get rid of Cimino as fast as they could.
** Meghan Broadhead and her real-life sister Mimi auditioned to play the older sister, but in the end were cast together instead.

** In the 1984 version, Ren's cousins Amy and Sarah Warnicker are played by sisters Mimi and Meghan Broadhead by actual sisters, Maggie Elizabeth and Mary-Charles Jones. Additionally, the sisters in both the 1984 and 2011 versions are locals of the Utah and Georgia filming locations, respectively and their sister Lillian Jones plays an background extra in the scene when Ren teaches Willard to dance.

** Meghan Broadhead and her real-life sister Mimi auditioned to play the older sister but in the end, were cast together instead.

** Like in the 1984 version, Ren's cousins are played by actual sisters, not to mention the sisters in both the 1984 and 2011 versions are locals of the Utah and Georgia filming locations, respectively and their sister Lillian Jones plays an background extra in the scene when Ren teaches Willard to dance.

* IAmNotSpock: In a 2013 interview with Creator/HowardStern, Creator/KevinBacon admitted that he has actually tipped DJs at weddings NOT to play "Footloose". He stated that people expect him to dance the song as he did in the movie. In truth, while he did do some of the dancing there was also a dancing double for him as well.

** Like in the 1984 version, Ren's cousins are played by actual sisters, not to mention the sisters in both the 1984 and 2011 versions are locals of the Utah and Georgia filming locations, respectively and similar to the 1984 version their sister Lillian Jones plays an background extra in the scene when Ren teaches Willard to dance.

* TroubledProduction: Perfectionist Creator/MichaelCimino -- apparently having not learned his lesson from the ''Film/HeavensGate'' debacle -- went vastly overbudget on this film before he'd even shot a single frame of footage, requiring him to be fired as director and replaced with Herbert Ross.

** Like in the 1984 version, Ren's cousins are played by actual sisters, not to mention the sisters in both the 1984 and 2011 versions are locals of the Utah and Georgia filming locations, respectively.

** Meghan Broadhead auditioned for the older sister along with her real-life sister Mimi but in the end, were cast together instead.

* OneBookAuthor: This was the only film for Mimi and Meghan Broadhead, reportedly due to bullying from classmates and unwanted attention from strangers.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Chris Penn really couldn't dance, so they added a montage where he learns how to.

** Lori Singer beat out Music/{{Madonna}} for the part of Ariel. Creator/DarylHannah was also considered for the part, but she turned it down to star in ''Film/{{Splash}}'' instead. Other candidates included Creator/RosannaArquette, Creator/JamieLeeCurtis, Creator/JuliaLouisDreyfus, Creator/JodieFoster, Creator/MelanieGriffith, Creator/JenniferJasonLeigh, Creator/DianeLane and Creator/MichellePfeiffer.

** Mimi and Meghan Broadhead's father J. Paul Broadhead played Mayor Dooley and their brothers played extras in some scenes.

** As mentioned earlier, Creator/MichaelCimino was originally chosen to direct ''Footlose'', provided that he wouldn't go over budget and that he would deliver the film on schedule. However, Cimino demanded to halt production just weeks before shooting began until he rewrote the script as a much darker drama besides asking for another 250,000 dollars besides his agreed salary for the trouble of doing all this. The studio heads then had flashbacks of the ''HeavensGate'' debacle going through their heads, panicked and proceeded to get rid of Cimino as fast as they could.

* RealLifeRelative: In the scene where Reverend Shaw shows Ren a picture of his deceased son Bobby, Creator/JohnLithgow actually showed a photograph of his real son.

** Lori Singer beat out Music/{{Madonna}} for the part of Ariel. Main/DarrylHannah was also considered for the part, but she turned it down to star in ''Film/{{Splash}}'' instead. Other candidates included Creator/RosannaArquette, Creator/JamieLeeCurtis, Creator/JuliaLouisDreyfus, Creator/JodieFoster, Creator/MelanieGriffith, Creator/JenniferJasonLeigh, Creator/DianeLane and Creator/MichellePfeiffer.

** Lori Singer beat out Music/{{Madonna}} for the part of Ariel. Main/DarylHannah was also considered for the part, but she turned it down to star in ''Film/{{Splash}}'' instead. Other candidates included Creator/RosannaArquette, Phoebe Cates, Creator/JamieLeeCurtis, Creator/JuliaLouisDreyfus, Bridget Fonda, Creator/JodieFoster, Creator/MelanieGriffith, Creator/JenniferJasonLeigh, Creator/DianeLane, Heather Locklear, Lori Loughlin, Elizabeth [=McGovern=] [[note]]Who turned it down in favour of ''Film/OnceUponATimeInAmerica''[[/note]], Tatum O'Neal, Creator/MichellePfeiffer, Creator/MegRyan, Brooke Shields and Meg Tilly.
** As mentioned earlier, MichaelCimino was originally chosen to direct ''Footlose'', provided that he wouldn't go over budget and that he would deliver the film on schedule. However, Cimino demanded to halt production just weeks before shooting began until he rewrote the script as a much darker drama besides asking for another 250,000 dollars besides his agreed salary for the trouble of doing all this. The studio heads then had flashbacks of the ''HeavensGate'' debacle going through their heads, panicked and proceeded to get rid of Cimino as fast as they could.

** As mentioned earlier, MichaelCimino was originally chosen to direct ''Footlose'', provided that he wouldn't go over budget and that he would deliver the film on schedule. However, Cimino demanded to halt production just weeks before shooting began until he rewrote the script as a much darker drama besides asking for 250,000 dollars for the trouble of doing it. The studio heads then had flashbacks of the ''HeavensGate'' debacle going through their heads, panicked and proceeded to get rid of Cimino as fast as they could.

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* MidDevelopmentGenreShift: Creator/MichaelCimino's proposed re imagination of the film was said to be a musical-comedy inspired by ''Literature/TheGrapesOfWrath''.

** Ren's cousins, like in the 1984 version, are played by actual sisters, not to mention the sisters in both the 1984 and 2011 versions are locals of the Utah and Georgia filming locations, respectively.

** Lori Singer beat out Music/{{Madonna}} for the part of Ariel. Main/DarylHannah was also considered for the part, but she turned it down to star in ''Film/{{Splash}}'' instead. Other candidates included Creator/RosannaArquette, Phoebe Cates, Creator/JamieLeeCurtis, Creator/JuliaLouisDreyfus, Bridget Fonda, Creator/JodieFoster, Melanie Griffith, Creator/JenniferJasonLeigh, Creator/DianeLane, Heather Locklear, Lori Loughlin, Elizabeth [=McGovern=] [[note]]Who turned it down in favour of ''Film/OnceUponATimeInAmerica''[[/note]], Tatum O'Neal, Creator/MichellePfeiffer, Creator/MegRyan, Brooke Shields and Meg Tilly.