FoxThe producers of Fox's upcoming Rocky Horror Picture Show event are well aware that there was a bit of a backlash when they announced they were remaking the cult favorite for a new generation. But there was one thing that caused the tide of public opinion to turn: When original star Tim Curry signed on.
"As you can imagine, when we announced that we were doing this there was a tremendous backlash from fans that have been with us for 40 years," producer Lou Adler said at the RHPS Television Critics Association summer press tour panel. "That all loosened up and became more interesting to them when Tim signed on. His validation and also [seeing him] as an actor just gave them something to look forward to."
Curry said he did "indeed" give the remake his unconditional endorsement. "It was fun though to do it again," he said.
"I actually offered myself as Dr. Scott because I was already in a wheelchair," the actor, who suffered a stroke in 2012, joked, but "they thought narrator was a better fit. I enjoyed it a lot."
When the cast met for rehearsals and new star Laverne Cox sang Dr. Frank-N-Furter's iconic introduction song, "Sweet Transvestite," the first person to cheer was Curry himself. "When she finished, the first voice that came out was 'Brava' from Tim Curry, and that's what we felt from this whole thing...his generosity, his wit, his charm, his elegance."
From the very beginning, Adler and fellow executive producers Kenny Ortega and Gail Berman wanted to pay tribute to the fans that turned RHPS into a phenomenon. "The very first thing that was laid out was that we wanted to celebrate the fans," Ortega said—which is why there's an audience component worked into the film that includes some of the midnight movie's callbacks.
"What we wanted to make sure...was that the callbacks didn't get in the way of the story but celebrated the telling of the story," Ortega said. Added Adler, "The callbacks are very natural. You can't write them."
In the end, "It's really an audience film," Adler said. "Rocky Horror, in my particular case, has always had a mind of its own and it sounds a little corny, but I waited for it—which is basically the fans—to tell us what to do next. We started doing this television idea quite a while ago and I guess it wasn't the right time. Tim came along and validated it by wanting to be in it."
And don't necessarily call it a remake. Said Ben Vereen, who plays Dr. Scott, "I don't believe that we're remaking anything. I like to believe that we're paying tribute to the great artists that did it before...This is not, to me, a remake. You can not remake Rocky Horror Picture Show. It's an iconic piece. But you can pay tribute to and honor it."
The Rocky Horror Picture Show will premiere in October on Fox.