Musicals have been making their way onto the small screen in a big way in recent years, and live productions of family-friendly shows like The Sound of Music and The Wiz scored huge ratings. As it happens, however, Fox will be airing a distinctly less family-friendly musical with its reimagination of cult classic film The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Although Rocky Horror is not set for release until fall, Fox has announced the casting of Victoria Justice and Ryan McCartan for the roles of sweethearts Janet Weiss and Brad Majors.
Janet and Brad were immortalized in the original film by a very young Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick; as there is no time warp option to de-age the originals to reprise their roles, Justice and McCartan have some big shoes to fill. Rocky Horror’s devoted fans will undoubtedly have high expectations of the actors. Fortunately, both appear to have the skills to make the roles their own.
Victoria Justice is an actress and recording artist who has plenty of titles to her name. She was a figure on the Disney Channel for years before landing her own series Victorious, which showcased her singing as well as acting. More recently, she starred in the cable series Eye Candy that was based on a best-seller from author R.L. Stine. She’s been appearing in film more and more, but she seems like a perfect choice for a one-off gig as Janet.
Ryan McCartan also made a name for himself on Disney Channel as Diggie Smalls – yes, really – on Liv & Maddie. He received rave reviews on the theatrical circuit for his role as JD in Heathers The Musical and recently launched a solo musical career with his first single and album. He should definitely be able to handle the demands of Brad for Rocky Horror.
Victoria Justice and Ryan McCartan may not be the biggest names in showbiz, but Fox avoiding stunt casting and instead going for performers who will be able to nail the music and the acting bodes well for the project.
Justice and McCartan join Laverne Cox of Orange Is The New Black fame in the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Reeve Carney as Riff Raff, and Staz Nair as Rocky Horror. There’ still quite a bit of time before Rocky Horror Picture Show will hit the airwaves, but Fox has two musicals in the works in the meantime to help pass the time before audiences get to join Victoria Justice and Ryan McCartan as Janet and Brad.
