Trivia / Flashdance

• Breakaway Pop Hit: While the film is by no means forgotten and has become a staple of '80s films, "Maniac" became such a big hit that it can claim to be independent of the film.
• Pop-Culture Urban Legends: "Maniac" was written for the film based on a pre-existing track, but an urban legend holds it was originally written for the slasher film Maniac! (1980). That film's director, William Lustig, did an interview in 2010 with Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky to clear up the misunderstanding (the film was a main inspiration and provided additional lyrics, but predates the song by several years).
• Stillborn Franchise: Paramount held dancer auditions for a proposed sequel to this film. That film was never made.
• Throw It In!: The sweatshirt Jennifer Beals wanted to wear shrank in the wash, so she had to cut out the collar in order to put it on, even though it would keep slipping off her shoulder. This ended up creating a fashion craze for off-the-shoulder sweatshirts and T-shirts through the mid-80s, and which unexpectedly came back into fashion beginning around 2009.
• What Could Have Been:
  • The director's chair was originally offered to Brian De Palma. DePalma accepted, but a few weeks into pre-production, he left the film to direct Scarface (1983) and was replaced by Adrian Lyne. David Cronenberg was also offered the job.
  • The role of Nick was offered to Gene Simmons, who declined it rather than compromise his onstage persona. Incidentally, both him and Cynthia Rhodes (Tina) would go on to appear together in Runaway.
  • Kevin Costner was the runner-up for the role of Nick. Pierce Brosnan, Robert De Niro, Richard Gere, Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and John Travolta were also considered. Burt Reynolds was offered the role, but declined due to scheduling conflicts.
  • Jamie Lee Curtis, Bo Derek, Bridget Fonda, Jennifer Grey, Melanie Griffith, Daryl Hannah, Helen Hunt, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Andie MacDowell, Demi Moore, Tatum O'Neal, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sharon Stone and Debra Winger were all considered for Alex Owens. Eventually, it was whittled down to Jennifer Beals, Demi Moore, and Leslie Wing, with Beals emerging the victor.
  • "Maniac" was originally inspired by news reports of a serial killer, with further inspiration coming from the horror film Maniac! (1980). Michael Sembello accidentally left it on the demo tape for his other songs he wrote for the film but the producers liked the song enough to have him rework it for this film.
  • Phil Collins turned down the opportunity to write a song for the film.

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