A look inside Hollywood and the movies. : AGAIN AND AGAIN : Another Face, Another Crowd

Add one more to the growing list of Hollywood remakes in the works: “A Face in the Crowd,” Budd Schulberg’s 1957 stinging indictment of the power of television, is on its way back in an updated version.

Richard Gere will sing and play guitar in the film. Producer Gene Kirkwood (“Rocky”) and Schulberg have been developing the project for Gere for the last several years at Warner Bros.

“A Face in the Crowd” was based on Schulberg’s novel, “The Arkansas Traveler,” and starred Andy Griffith (in his film debut) and Patricia Neal. Directed by Elia Kazan, it’s the story of a singing hillbilly who gets promoted into a national television star. While many at the time speculated that the story was based on the popular 1950s television entertainer, Arthur Godfrey, Schulberg says it was really based on humorist Will Rogers. According to Schulberg, the time is right for a remake.

“It’s more timely now than it was back then,” says Schulberg, the author of ‘What Makes Sammy Run?” “Look at Ross Perot. He’s only going to use television to try and get elected. The old barnstorming days of politicians are over. Now, it’s all down to 30-second sound bites. We’ll be able to say more about the status of politics in the age of TV hype.”

Producer Kirkwood agrees: “If Ted Turner wanted to go for the presidency, he’d have it,” says Kirkwood. “Politics has become a television show and it’s all about how good you look. That’s what this film will be about.”

According to Kirkwood, who says he’s had the rights to the original film for 10 years, Schulberg has written an updated version of the script and Eric Bogosian (“Talk Radio”) has written another draft. “Basically, a lot doesn’t have to be changed,” he says. “The dialogue has been updated, but basically the story is the same.” A director has not been named--at one time, Kazan was even discussed as a possible director.

Kirkwood says that he was approached by Gere several years ago about starring in the film. “I screened the earlier version for him in New York and he brought his guitar with him to prove that he really could handle the part of the singing entertainer.”

“I think he’s ideal for the role,” says Schulberg. “He’s as right for this time as Andy Griffith was for the earlier version.” Gere starred in another film that dealt with media manipulation and politics, Sidney Lumet’s 1986 film “Power.” “It’s a cousin to my movie,” says Schulberg. “Obviously, Gere has an interest in this subject.”