Step Up 5 Is Happening, And Has A Director And Everything

It’s almost hard to believe that it’s been seven years since Step Up was released, laying the groundwork for the population’s fascination with Channing Tatum, and the things his body can do. But three films later Tatum is long gone, and while the sequels have retained their stylish choreography, their plotlines and reasons to exist are arguable at best. But even though the last film, the non-revolutionary Step Up Revolution, barely broke even here in the States, it still brought it a major profit worldwide, which made news about Step Up 5 rather inevitable.

While it was thought – with some disappointment – that Revolution’s director Scott Speer would be back in the director’s seat, it appears he’s now focused on Lionsgate/Summit’s Spinback, a thriller set within the world of electronic dance music. Though Speer had indeed been working on the film with screenwriter John Swetnam, Deadline reports Summit has shifted their sights to Grammy winning choreographer Trish Sie to take over helming the next installment of the dance franchise. While putting a football coach in charge of directing duties for a film about football would seem suspect, is having a choreographer do it any more legitimate?

Fans of the series would be hard pressed to find a more interesting choreographer with pop appeal. While the name might not be familiar, you’ll know her work through the videos she co-produced and co-directed with the band OK Go. Remember “Here it Goes Again” and all of the treadmills? That was Sie. She’s worked on several other videos for them, as well as a slew of commercials.

While it’s hard to get excited about a franchise that seems to fall into the Saw school of sequel-churning, Sie’s talents could be a – ahem – step in the right direction. Check out her 2012 director’s reel below to get a better feel for her work.

Nick Venable
Assistant Managing Editor

Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper.  Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.