Director, producer and choreographer
Adam Shankman just might be earning the title of the hardest working man in showbiz. He’s currently dancing nimbly between a busy movie career, a now-permanent slot as a judge for
So You Think You Can Dance?, and his latest project: a planned variety show pilot starring
Carrie Underwood.
“I’m co-directing and producing a variety special starring Carrie Underwood for Fox with Nigel Lythgoe,” Shankman told
TVGuideMagazine.com at the “Rock A Little, Feed A Lot” Benefit Concert for Feeding America, which the seemingly tireless helmer also produced and directed. The show is currently “just a pilot” at the moment, he said, but it may become something more regular.
“I think they want to do something along the lines of The Mandrel Sisters,’ Shankman said, recalling the 80s-era variety show headlined by country star Barbara Mandrel and her siblings. “They want to bring back the variety show and Carrie’s gorgeous and talented and fabulous.”
At the same time, Shankman’s also made his frequent judging stints on
SYTYCD into a permanent gig, and he said he feels he knows what he’ll be bringing to the table. “I like to think that I bring balance. I like to thing that I bring order out of chaos. And I think I bring a nice whipping boy for Nigel. It’s one place I can go and not have to be the boss and say what I can to try to help those kids.”
Meanwhile, Shankman’s production company has three films expected to hit theaters in early 2010—"The Last Song" starring Miley Cyrus, "Going the Distance" starring Drew Barrymore, and
Step Up 3-D—and he’s gearing up to go behind the camera for two planned musical features,
Sinbad: The Last Voyage and
Bob: The Musical.
“I’m not exactly sure how I’m doing it all,” Shankman admitted. “I’m just going to learn how to not eat, sleep or breathe.”