Paramount+ green lights ‘Grease’ prequel musical series ‘Rise of the Pink Ladies’

Rise of the Pink Ladies, a prequel musical series to the hit 1978 cult classic film Grease, is set to head onto Paramount+, according to reports from Variety and Hollywood Reporter.

Set four years before the events of the musical film, which starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, the upcoming series will explore the origin story of the four Pink Ladies – Rizzo, Jan, Frenchy, and Marty.

The 10-episode spin-off series will follow the infamous Pink Ladies in their early rogue and rascal years. In the 1971 movie, the Pink Ladies were originally portrayed by Stockard Channing as Rizzo, Didi Conn as Frenchy, Dinah Manoff as Marty, and Jamie Donnelly as Jan.

Annabel Oakes (Atypical) will serve as the series writer and showrunner as well as its executive producer along with Marty Bowen and Erik Feig.

Other details about the show, such as its release date and cast, have yet to be revealed.

HBO Max first announced in October 2018 that a Grease television show, entitled Grease: Rydell High, is in the works. However, after a change in management, the series was scrapped and handed over to Paramount+ with a reworked plot and rebranded title – Rise of the Pink Ladies.

Aside from the upcoming musical television series, a movie prequel called Summer Lovin’ remains to be in production. 

Grease tells the story of teenagers in the 1950s fictional Rydell High School as they navigate and explore their complexities as working-class high school students in terms of love, politics, and adolescence. Its less successful sequel, Grease 2, starred Michelle Pfeiffer and Maxwell Caulfield and premiered in 1982.

Grease is known for its well-loved classic songs, such as “You’re the One that I Want,” “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” “Greased Lightnin’,” and “Summer Nights.” – with reports from Paolo Alejandrino/Rappler.com

Paolo Alejandrino is a Rappler intern.