Kevin Bacon tried to develop American remake of Audition for years

Kevin Bacon tried for years to mount an American remake of the Japanese horror Audition but never managed to "get it all the way".

The Footloose actor was such a big fan of Takashi Miike's gory cult classic, which was released in 1999, that he tried to develop an English-language remake without much success.

He revealed the news in an interview with Film Updates after naming it as his favourite horror.

"I really tried for a lot of years to do an American version of it," he said. "We never really got it together. It was difficult for a lot of reasons. I was close (to making it) but we didn't get it all the way. But that is a great movie."

In his joint interview with his MaXXXine co-star Elizabeth Debicki, who avoids horror films, he continued, "It would scare the s**t out of (Debicki), who, by the way, would be amazing in it."

The Crown actress, who had not seen the original film, replied, "I'm gonna call my agent right now!"

The shocking cult film follows a widower who auditions women to be his new wife with disastrous consequences. A Hollywood remake was reported in 2014 but it is not clear if that version was connected to Bacon.

In MaXXXine, horror veteran Bacon plays a sleazy private investigator who follows the film's lead character Maxine Minx in 1980s Hollywood.

To prepare for the part, the A Few Good Men star spent time on YouTube researching his character.

"I went onto YouTube and looked up New Orleans policeman, New Orleans private eyes, Louisiana politicians, things like that. I find that fun and inspirational," he shared.

MaXXXine, starring Mia Goth, is in cinemas now.