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When talk of a Fame remake first started, there were a lot of disconcerted fans of the original movie and TV show, wondering what this remake yoke would do to the beloved memory of the Fame institution. Of course, the movie and the tv show were almost polar opposites, so no matter what the remake does, someone will be left fuming. One version was light hearted with a strong moral message at the heart of each new story, whilst the other was a gritty tale of trying to make it in the entertainment industry. It dealt with drug addiction, repression and the seedier side of the casting couch, to mention but a few aspects.

From the look of things here, this version of Fame will not travel the path of the original movie, going instead for a more 21st century pop version. The words “High School Musical” are flashing wildly through my head, but as it’s only the first trailer and not exactly a fully rounded view of the movie, the benefit of the doubt is in order. If only more focus was given to the non-dance sequences, it’d help avoid the comparison. We can see they can dance, but we also want to know if they can act, and more importantly, that they’re telling a good story. It’s nice to know that at least one cast member can sing, as Naturi Naughton’s belting out of “Out Here On My Own” demonstrates, but the flashing lights and Coke-font logo seem so geared at those young ‘uns that the idea of a grown up story being told seems a bit far-fetched. Perhaps the next trailer will let us see who these flashing and jumping blurs actually are, and what stories they have to tell.

Fame hits theaters on September 25, 2009.