This Is It director Kenny Ortega pulled out of remake of Footloose

This Is It director Kenny Ortega has said he pulled out of the remake of Footloose because he needed a break after shooting the Jacko movie.

The 59-year-old was set to direct the remake of the 1984 flick, but he said the Jackson movie wasn’t planned and he needed a break after making it.

Talking about his departure from the film, he said: “It was not planned. None of this [This Is It film] was happening when I started working on Footloose with Paramount.

“I honestly love the team I was working with on it – Craig Zadan, Brad Weston, Neil Meron and Dylan Sellers, the actors. It had been a wonderful couple of years developing the idea but I really need to take a break.

“I wish them all the luck in the world.”