Step aside, Tim Curry. Laverne Cox has been cast as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in Fox’s upcoming The Rocky Horror Picture Show reboot, the network announced on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
The Emmy-nominated Orange Is the New Black actress, 31, will portray the promiscuous cross-dressing scientist made famous by Curry in the 1975 original cult classic film.
“I am so excited to be a part of #RockHorror legacy. #DontDreamItBeIt,” Cox, who is the first trans woman of color to have a leading role on a mainstream scripted show, tweeted on Wednesday.
“The Rocky Horror Picture Show follows sweethearts Janet Weiss and Brad Majors, who stumble upon Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s bizarre abode. Frank-N-Furter, a sexually ambiguous flirtatious alien mad-scientist, is holding an annual, Transylvanian science convention to showcase the birth of Rocky Horror – a fit, attractive man created solely to fulfill Frank’s desires,” the press release revealed.
The two-hour television event, which celebrates Rocky Horror’s 40 years in theaters — longer than any other film — will be directed, choreographed, and executive produced by Kenny Ortega of High School Musical fam, with other executive producers including Lou Adler and Gail Berman. The reboot is set to premiere in fall 2016.
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