Zac Efron is out and Chace Crawford is in for Footlose remake

Chace Crawford has been cast to play the lead role in the upcoming remake of the 1984 film Footloose. The film will be directed by High School Musical's Kenny Ortega and was originally going to star Zac Efron. But he decided not to take the role because he is looking to expand the types of movie roles he takes on. "I want to grow a bit with the types of movies I want to make," Efron said. "It was more along the lines that I was looking for a new challenge, and this was another musical."

Chace accepted the role after scheduling conflicts with Gossip Girl were ironed out. He will step in to fill the shoes of Kevin Bacon in the remake that is set to start shooting in March 2010.

Who will play Chace's leading lady in the movie? There has been no definite decision yet, but Hayden Panettiere, Amanda Bynes and even Miley Cyrus are some of the names that have been floating around.

Zac 'I Don't Sing & Dance Anymore' Efron

Looks like Zac Efron doesn't want to just be known as a song and dance man anymore. We think it's a little too late for that. The 21-year-old actor recently dropped out of Footloose, the upcoming remake of the 1984 musical.

“Footloose is a project we’ve longed to see re-booted for a new generation. While Zac is no longer attached, we remain excited and committed to the collective brain trust of [director] Kenny Ortega, [producers] Neil Meron and Craig Zaden, who will reinvigorate the franchise,” a Paramount Pictures rep told Us Weekly Monday. “Their fresh take on the film will undoubtedly be filled with the same kind of breakout performances that we’ve come to expect from them.”

We're sure the movie may still be successful - everyone loves a good musical. But we don't know what to think about Zac sudden change of heart. He better not pull a 'Bachelor' on us and decide he wants back in again!