John Travolta in Hairspray

The first image of John Travolta in the movie adaptation of Hairspray has been released. Travolta, in drag, plays Edna Turnblad, whose daughter Tracy (newcomer Nikki Blonsky) confronts racism in 1960s Baltimore. Travolta inherits the role from Divine in the original 1988 film and Harvey Fierstein in the Broadway show. Hollywood musicals have been a real gamble at the box office lately, so filmmakers needed a star who sings as well as he acts, says director Adam Shankman. The real discovery, Shankman says, is the chemistry between the veteran and rookie. "When she walked on set for the first time, it was like she had been doing it for 30 years. John melts around her. They are so cute together, it's unbelievable."