Let’s be honest. When Fox announced they were remaking a cult masterpiece that basically defines the concept of "untouchable," the internet collectively lost its mind. Remaking The Rocky Horror Picture Show is like trying to paint a mustache on the Mona Lisa—it's risky, probably unnecessary, and people are going to have opinions. But then, the casting news dropped. At the center of it all was Victoria Justice, the Nickelodeon alum who had just finished a massive run on Victorious.
The 2016 TV special, officially titled The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again, was a weird, neon-soaked fever dream. It was bold. It was loud. And it placed a massive amount of weight on Victoria Justice’s shoulders as Janet Weiss. You know Janet. "Dammit, Janet!" The character is the heartbeat of the show’s descent from suburban boredom into absolute sexual chaos.
Looking back, Victoria Justice in the Rocky Horror Show wasn’t just a career pivot. It was a litmus test for whether a "clean" teen star could handle the grit, the fishnets, and the campy debauchery that the role requires. Some fans hated the polish. Others loved the vocal precision. But years later, it’s the performance everyone still debates when they talk about modern musical remakes.
The Janet Weiss Evolution: From Susan Sarandon to Victoria Justice
Stepping into Susan Sarandon’s shoes is a nightmare for any actress. Sarandon’s 1975 Janet was a masterclass in Wide-Eyed Innocence™ transitioning into "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-me" liberation. She was awkward, breathy, and legendary.
Victoria Justice took a different path.
Her Janet was more of a "theatre kid" interpretation. It was precise. In the 2016 version, directed by Kenny Ortega (the genius behind Hocus Pocus and High School Musical), the aesthetic shifted from the 1970s grunge-glam to a more stylized, hyper-saturated Broadway look. Justice brought a pop sensibility to the soundtrack that the original lacked. Is it better? That depends on if you like your rock-and-roll with a side of grit or a side of gloss.
Justice's vocal performance on tracks like "Over at the Frankenstein Place" showed off a range that her Nickelodeon days only hinted at. She wasn't just singing; she was navigating a very specific type of camp comedy.
Why the 2016 Remake Was So Polarizing
Context matters here. In 2016, we weren't quite in the "remake fatigue" era we are in now, but the Rocky Horror fanbase is protective. Like, "throw-toast-at-the-screen" protective.
The biggest hurdle for Victoria Justice and the rest of the cast—which included Laverne Cox as Frank-N-Furter and Adam Lambert as Eddie—was the shadow of the Midnight Movie culture. The original film survived because it was a sanctuary for outcasts. It was messy.
The Fox remake was... clean.
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Critics pointed out that Justice, while talented, sometimes felt almost too perfect for the role. There’s a specific kind of "untidiness" that makes Janet Weiss work. However, younger audiences who had never seen the 1975 version flocked to it. For a whole generation of Gen Z fans, Victoria Justice is their Janet. That’s a weird reality for the older fans to swallow, but it’s the truth.
The Laverne Cox Connection
You can’t talk about Victoria Justice’s performance without talking about her chemistry with Laverne Cox. In the "Floor Show" sequence, Justice had to lean into the absurdity. It’s one of the few times we see her truly break away from the "perfect pop star" image. She’s in the corset, she’s doing the choreography, and she’s holding her own against Cox’s powerhouse presence.
It was a total vibe shift. Honestly, seeing a former Nick star transition into the "Rose Tint My World" number was the moment a lot of people realized Justice was more than just a sitcom lead. She was a performer with genuine stamina.
The "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-me" Moment
If there is one scene that defines Victoria Justice in the Rocky Horror Show, it’s this one.
In the original, this is the pivotal moment of sexual awakening. In the 2016 version, Ortega turned it into a high-budget music video. Justice’s version of the song hit the Billboard charts in a way the original cast recordings rarely do in the modern era.
- Vocal Style: Justice used a more contemporary "belt" compared to Sarandon’s light, almost operatic head voice.
- Choreography: It was much more structured. Every hand movement was choreographed to the beat.
- Visuals: The lighting was bright, the colors were popping, and it felt very "MTV."
Critics were split. Some felt it lost the "accidental" feel of the 1975 film. Others argued that for a TV audience, Justice delivered exactly what was needed: a catchy, high-energy performance that kept people from changing the channel.
Technical Execution and the Kenny Ortega Influence
Kenny Ortega has a very specific "DNA" when he directs. You’ve seen it in Newsies, you’ve seen it in Michael Jackson's This Is It. He loves symmetry. He loves big, explosive movements.
This influenced Victoria Justice’s acting style significantly. She had to play to the rafters. In a film, you can be subtle. In an Ortega production, you have to be big.
The production design by Andrew Stearn and the costumes by William Ivey Long (a Broadway legend) meant that Justice was essentially a living doll for the first half of the movie. That stiff, 1950s-style acting she does in the beginning? That’s intentional. It’s meant to make the eventual breakdown in the laboratory feel more earned.
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The Impact on Victoria Justice’s Career
Before Rocky Horror, Victoria Justice was mostly known for Victorious and Zoey 101. She was the girl-next-door.
Taking on Janet Weiss was a calculated risk. It allowed her to show a more mature side without completely alienating her younger fanbase. It proved she could handle a live-to-tape style production (even though it was pre-recorded, it was filmed with that high-intensity energy).
Since then, we’ve seen her take on more varied roles in films like A Perfect Pairing and Afterlife of the Party. But Rocky Horror remains the most "left-field" thing she’s done. It’s the project that showed she has the "theatre chops" to survive outside the sitcom bubble.
Fact-Checking the "Flop" Narrative
Was it a flop? Well, it depends on who you ask.
The ratings were decent—about 5 million viewers on its first night. For a Thursday night on Fox, that’s not bad. However, the IMDB scores and Rotten Tomatoes audience ratings are... let’s say "mixed."
The thing is, Rocky Horror remakes are almost designed to be hated by the "purists." If you look at it as a standalone piece of musical theatre, Victoria Justice’s performance is technically sound. If you look at it as a replacement for the 1975 film, it’s always going to fall short.
The real value of the 2016 version was its inclusivity. Casting a trans woman as Frank-N-Furter was a massive step forward, and Justice’s Janet provided a familiar "anchor" for mainstream audiences to latch onto.
Practical Takeaways for Fans and Collectors
If you're a fan of Victoria Justice or a Rocky Horror completionist, there are a few things you actually need to check out beyond just the movie.
- The Soundtrack: Honestly, the soundtrack is where Justice shines. Without the distracting "newness" of the visuals, her vocals on "Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-me" are actually some of the best pop-theatre recordings of that year.
- Behind-the-Scenes Footage: There’s a lot of footage of the rehearsals. Seeing Justice work with Ortega shows the level of discipline required for those dance numbers. It wasn't just "showing up and singing."
- The Tim Curry Cameo: One of the best parts of the 2016 production was having the original Frank-N-Furter, Tim Curry, play the Criminologist. Justice has spoken in interviews about how surreal it was to perform in front of him.
How to Watch It Today
You can usually find the 2016 Rocky Horror on Hulu or Disney+, depending on your region and the current licensing deals Fox has in place. It’s also available for digital purchase on Amazon and Apple TV.
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If you’re going in for the first time, my advice? Stop comparing it to the original. Treat it like a high-budget Broadway revival that happened to be filmed for TV. It’s fun, it’s campy, and Victoria Justice is clearly having the time of her life.
What We Can Learn From the "Remake Era"
Victoria Justice in the Rocky Horror Show represents a specific moment in pop culture where TV networks were obsessed with "event television." We saw it with Grease Live!, The Sound of Music Live!, and Rent.
The takeaway here is that Victoria Justice successfully bridged the gap between "teen star" and "adult actress" through the medium of musical theatre. She didn't try to imitate Susan Sarandon. She did a "Victoria Justice version" of Janet Weiss.
In the world of acting, that’s often the bravest choice you can make.
Final Thoughts for the Rocky Horror Fandom
Whether you're a "Creature of the Night" from the 70s or a Victoria Justice stan from the 2010s, the 2016 remake serves as a bridge. It kept the IP alive. It introduced songs like "Science Fiction/Double Feature" to a new generation.
And let’s be real—Justice looked incredible in that blue dress.
If you want to dive deeper into the Victoria Justice filmography, check out her more recent work on Netflix. She’s leaning more into the romantic comedy genre lately, but the vocal training she did for Rocky Horror is still evident in her music.
Next Steps for Readers:
- Listen to the 2016 Cast Recording on Spotify to hear the vocal differences between Justice and Sarandon.
- Watch the "Making of" featurettes to see the choreography rehearsals.
- Compare the "Floor Show" sequences of both films to see how Justice handled the transition from "innocent Janet" to "liberated Janet."