Let's be honest about the rocky horror picture show movie 2016. It was a gutsy move. Remaking a cult classic that essentially invented the concept of "midnight movies" is basically like trying to paint a mustache on the Mona Lisa—people are going to have opinions, and they’re usually going to be loud. When Fox announced The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again, the internet didn't just ripple; it cracked. You had the purists who felt the 1975 original was sacred ground, and then you had a younger generation who just wanted to see Laverne Cox slay as Frank-N-Furter.
It wasn't a theatrical release. That's a huge distinction. This was a televised event, directed by Kenny Ortega—the man behind High School Musical and Michael Jackson’s This Is It. Because of that, the vibe was inherently different. It felt polished. It felt shiny. It felt, well, Disney-adjacent in its production values, which is a weird thing to say about a story involving alien transvestites and cannibalism. But here we are.
The Laverne Cox Factor and the Casting Gamble
The biggest talking point of the rocky horror picture show movie 2016 was, without question, the casting of Laverne Cox. In the original, Tim Curry gave a performance so iconic it practically defined a subculture. Cox didn't try to do a Tim Curry impression. She leaned into a burlesque, powerhouse vocal style that brought something totally new to the lab.
But it wasn't just her. The cast was a weird, eclectic mix. You had Victoria Justice as Janet and Ryan McCartan as Brad. They played it straight—well, as straight as you can play characters who end up in floor-show corsets. Reeve Carney took on Riff Raff, and honestly, trying to follow Richard O'Brien's creepy, spindly footsteps is a thankless task. Carney brought a rock-star edge to it, but for many long-time fans, it lacked that specific, unsettling grime that made the 1975 version feel dangerous.
Then there was Adam Lambert as Eddie. Meat Loaf is a tough act to follow, but Lambert is one of the few people on the planet with the pipes to actually pull off "Hot Patootie – Bless My Soul" without sounding like a karaoke singer. It was high energy. It was colorful. But did it have the soul? That’s where the fandom splits down the middle.
Why the "Live" Audience Element Changed Everything
One of the cleverest, or perhaps most distracting, choices Ortega made was including a "fake" audience within the movie itself. If you've ever been to a midnight screening, you know the movie is only half the show. The other half is people throwing toast, shouting "Slut!" at Janet, and dancing in the aisles.
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The rocky horror picture show movie 2016 tried to bake this into the edit. They showed "fans" in a theater watching the movie we were watching. It was a meta-commentary on the film’s own legacy. Some people loved it because it acknowledged the shadow-cast culture that kept Rocky Horror alive for forty years. Others felt it was a bit too "sanitized." It took the organic, rebellious spirit of a dive-bar theater and turned it into a choreographed TV moment. It’s the difference between a real punk show and a punk-themed party at a corporate office.
Production Design: From Gothic Grime to Neon Glitz
The 1975 film looked like it was filmed in a damp, crumbling mansion because, well, it largely was. Oakley Court was falling apart. It was freezing. You could practically smell the mildew through the screen.
In the rocky horror picture show movie 2016, everything is bright. The colors pop. The lab isn't a dark, scary basement; it’s a high-tech, neon-lit stage. This shift in aesthetic changed the stakes. When the original characters enter the castle, they look genuinely terrified. In the 2016 version, it feels more like they’ve stumbled into a very expensive Las Vegas residency.
- Costumes: William Ivey Long handled the outfits. He’s a Broadway legend. The costumes were intricate and beautiful, but they lost that "found object" DIY feel of the original.
- Choreography: It was tight. Too tight? Maybe. Kenny Ortega’s influence meant every hand flick and step was synchronized. It was impressive, but Rocky Horror has always thrived on a bit of chaos.
- Music: The arrangements were updated. They sounded fuller, more modern. But "Science Fiction/Double Feature" sung by Ivy Levan (the Trixie/Usherette character) set a tone that was more pop-diva than late-night B-movie homage.
Tim Curry’s Heartfelt Return
We have to talk about Tim Curry. Seeing him as the Criminologist was the emotional anchor of the entire production. After his stroke in 2012, Curry hadn't been in the spotlight much. His inclusion was a blessing from the original king himself.
Every time he appeared on screen to explain the "Time Warp," it felt like a bridge between the old guard and the new. He didn't have to do much. Just being there, with that unmistakable voice, gave the 2016 remake a legitimacy it otherwise might have lacked. It was a nod to the fans: "It’s okay to have fun with this."
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The Elephant in the Room: Is it "Too Clean"?
The main criticism leveled against the rocky horror picture show movie 2016 is its lack of grit. Rocky Horror is supposed to be subversive. It’s supposed to be a little gross. It’s a tribute to the "trash" culture of the 1950s.
By making it a TV movie on a major network, certain edges had to be filed down. The sexuality felt a bit more "theatrical" and a bit less "revolutionary." In 1975, seeing Frank-N-Furter was a shock to the system for mainstream audiences. In 2016, we live in a world where RuPaul’s Drag Race is a global phenomenon. The "shock" was gone, replaced by a celebration. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it changes the DNA of the experience.
Technical Specs and Reception
The movie pulled in about 4.95 million viewers on its premiere night. Those are solid numbers for a televised musical, though they didn't quite hit the heights of Grease Live! which had aired earlier that year. Critics were mixed. Rotten Tomatoes had it hovering around the mid-40s for a while.
What's interesting is how it's aged. A few years later, people are starting to appreciate it as its own entity rather than a replacement. You can't replace the original. You can only cover it, like a band covering a classic song.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Viewer
If you’re planning to dive into the rocky horror picture show movie 2016, or if you're a long-time fan looking to revisit it, here’s how to get the most out of it without letting the "remake rage" get in the way.
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1. Watch it as a Broadway Tribute, Not a Movie Remake
If you go in expecting a frame-by-frame gritty reboot, you'll be disappointed. View it as a high-budget stage performance that happened to be filmed. The lighting, the acting, and the vocals are all tuned for the "back row" of a theater.
2. Focus on the Vocal Performances
Whatever you think of the visuals, the singing is objectively strong. Annaleigh Ashford as Columbia is a particular standout. Her "Eddie's Teddy" solo is genuinely great.
3. Use it as an Entry Point
If you have friends or younger family members who find the 1975 version too "slow" or "old-looking," the 2016 version is a perfect gateway drug. It introduces the songs and the plot in a language they understand. Once they’re hooked, hit them with the original.
4. Compare the "Sweet Transvestite" Introductions
It’s a masterclass in character interpretation. Compare Tim Curry’s slow, menacing, seductive descent in the elevator to Laverne Cox’s grand, spectacular entrance. It tells you everything you need to know about the difference between the two films.
The rocky horror picture show movie 2016 didn't kill the original. If anything, it proved that the material is indestructible. Whether it’s 1975 or 2016, the story of Brad and Janet losing their innocence in a castle full of weirdos remains a fundamental part of our cultural fabric. It’s loud, it’s campy, and it’s still weirdly relevant.
To truly appreciate the 2016 version, try watching the "making of" featurettes that highlight the costume design process. Seeing the sheer amount of work William Ivey Long put into reinventing those iconic looks—like Riff Raff's jacket made of "human hair" textures—adds a layer of respect for the craft involved. Also, pay close attention to Ben Vereen as Dr. Scott; his presence brings a level of veteran theatrical gravitas that grounds the more chaotic scenes. Don't dream it, be it—but maybe just enjoy the 2016 version for the shiny, neon spectacle that it is.