Production details
Dean Pitchford wrote the screenplay (and most of the lyrics) for Footloose, Herbert Ross directed the movie, and Paramount Pictures co-produced and distributed it.
Oscar winning director Michael Cimino was hired by Paramount to direct the movie when negotiations with Ross initially stalled. After four months working on the film, the studio fired Cimino, who was making extravagant demands for the production, and ended up hiring Ross.
Casting
Footloose also starred Lori Singer as Reverend Moore’s independent daughter Ariel, a role Madonna also auditioned for. Dianne Wiest appeared as Vi, the Reverend’s devoted yet sympathetic wife.
Footloose is one of the earliest film appearances of Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker as Ariel’s friend Rusty, a role for which she was nominated for Best Young Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Musical, Comedy, Adventure or Drama at the Sixth Annual Youth in Film Awards. It was also an early role for Chris Penn as Willard Hewitt, Ren’s best friend, who doesn’t know how to dance until Ren teaches him.
Filming
The film was made at various locations in Utah County. The high school and tractor scenes were filmed in and around Payson, Utah and Payson High School. The church scenes were filmed in American Fork, Utah. The steel mill was the Geneva Steel mill. The final sequence is filmed in Lehi, Utah, with the Lehi Roller Mills featured in the final sequence.
