‘Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies’ Prequel Series Officially Ordered By Paramount+
Paramount+ has given a formal green light to Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, a prequel series to the classic 1978 film, which comes from Paramount Television Studios.
The 10-episode pickup, which had been in the works for weeks, marks the first official scripted series order since PTVS President Nicole Clemens added a senior role at the streamer as President, Paramount+ Original Scripted Series.
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Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies is set four years before the original Grease. Before rock ‘n’ roll ruled, before the T-Birds were the coolest in the school, four fed-up, outcast girls dare to have fun on their own terms, sparking a moral panic that will change Rydell High forever.
While the description can be interpreted as referring to the four Pink Ladies from the movie, Rizzo, Frenchy, Marty, and Jan, the spinoff series will actually feature new characters.
Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (fka Grease: Rydell High), landed at Paramount+ for development last fall after it was put in turnaround by HBO Max where the prequel had been originally set up with a straight-to-series order.
The prequel is written and executive produced by creator Annabel Oakes (Atypical), who also will serve as showrunner. Marty Bowen will executive produce via Temple Hill. Erik Feig will executive produce via Picturestart.
The movie Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, was the highest-grossing live-action musical of all time before the Disney reboots of Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King. Its soundtrack has sold more than 8 million copies in the U.S. alone. The franchise made a successful return to television with the 2016 live staging on Fox, starring Julianne Hough and Vanessa Hudgens, which won five Emmys.
Paramount+ is betting heavily on TV series offshoots of some of the most iconic movies in the Paramount library which are available on the platform. Also in the works are Flashdance, Love Story and The Italian Job, as well as more Star Trek offshoots, among others.
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