Kevin Bacon is providing a glimpse into his plans for commemorating the upcoming 40th anniversary of his iconic film, Footloose, set to celebrate this milestone in February.
Speaking with ET during the red carpet premiere of his new Netflix film, Leave the World Behind, the 65-year-old actor hinted at a potential special celebration for the film that catapulted him to stardom.
“Stay tuned, stay tuned,” Bacon playfully remarked, keeping the details under wraps during his conversation with ET’s Rachel Smith.
While not revealing specific details, Bacon expressed gratitude for the film’s significance, featuring co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Lori Singer, John Lithgow, and Dianne Wiest. He acknowledged the impact Footloose had on generations of fans.
“40 years. That’s one of those movies. It did change my life,” Bacon shared. “To say nothing else would not be true. I was working, and I knew I’d be an actor for the long haul, but I thought a character actor—which I am. But this took over people’s psyche for that moment, and my life switched.”
Despite the four decades since the film’s debut, Bacon revealed that Footloose remains the movie fans most often approach him about.
“I’ve done a lot of work since then, but that’s what people come up and talk to me about,” he told ET.
In early November, Bacon celebrated the end of the 118-day SAG-AFTRA strike with a special dance inspired by the 1984 film.
“Strike over!” he posted as the caption.
The video shows Bacon cutting loose and kicking his heels as “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins plays. The clip attracted hundreds of comments from fans and Bacon’s famous friends.
“It pleases me to no end that you embrace and provide so joyfully what brings the rest of us such happiness. Thank you for this, and all you do, Mr. Bacon,” wrote Nathan Fillion.
“Oh. My. Yesssssssssss,” responded Julianne Hough, who starred in the 2011 remake of Footloose.
“This is amazing!!!!!” wrote Ethan Hawke, who also stars in Leave the World Behind.
Leave the World Behind is also a reunion for Bacon and Julia Roberts, who previously starred together in Flatliners. Although they didn’t have many scenes together in the new movie, Bacon described it as a great reunion.
“Seeing her on set, we said ‘Hi, how are you, how are the family?’ It was nice,” Bacon shared.
Regarding his decision to take on the role in Leave the World Behind, he explained that the “sense of unease” drew him to the project.
“I love scary movies and thrillers. When I saw the movie and read the script, I saw it as an edge-of-seat type movie,” Bacon said.
Leave the World Behind premieres on Netflix on Dec. 8.
