MUMBAI: US film studios Lakeshore Entertainment and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM) have announced the freshman class of Fame. This is a reinvention of the original Oscar -winning film that spawned a franchise, including hit television shows, stage shows and music.

The announcement was made jointly by Lakeshore Entertainment chairman and CEO Tom Rosenberg and MGM‘s Worldwide Motion Picture Group chairman Mary Parent.

Among those signed to Fame are Thomas Dekker, Kristy Flores, Paul Iacono and Paul McGill. As in the original 1980 film, the talented new cast comprises young, up-and-coming performers who will climb the steps of the High School for the Performing Arts to explore a wide variety of classic and contemporary artistic disciplines, including singing, acting, ballet, tap, jazz, modern dance, hip-hop, slam poetry, spoken word, traditional theater, and cinema.

Rosenberg says, “We have assembled a gifted group of actors, dancers and musicians who are just starting out and have a true affinity for the characters they’re playing. They are going through the same competition and artistic process in real-life as they strive to make a name for themselves. The original Fame premise is still vitally compelling.”

Parent says, “In many ways, the idea of pursuing a career in dance or music or acting is much more palpable now – anyone with a page on a social networking site is instantly ‘famous,’ and anyone with a digital camera is a potential filmmaker.

” The negotiation between fame and real talent is much more immediate and something with which audiences are familiar, and there’s a universal relatability to experiencing the trials and tribulations associated with pursuing one’s dream, regardless of the arena. We felt the timing was perfect to take this compelling story and update the music and dancing to make it more relevant to today‘s young adult audience”.

Caught up in the intense atmosphere of a performing arts high school in New York, the student artists in the film confront both the tantalising promise of success and the challenges of thriving in a highly competitive environment. Capturing the visceral excitement and explosive energy of young artists and performers struggling to prove their talent and find their own voice, Fame will mark the feature film directorial debut of choreographer Kevin Tancharoen.