There seem to be very few original ideas left in the world of Hollywood or film making. Every movie is obligated to make a profit when it arrives at the box office, so things that have been proven to be a success in the past are more likely to receive funding than things that might prove to be a risk. That explains the spate of sequels we’ve seen coming out of movieland in recent years. It also explains the wave of prequels that have appeared both as live-action television series and films during the same time period. If you thought that any valued entertainment property was safe from that trend, you’re very wrong. Grease, which is arguably the most popular and beloved musical movie and stage show of all time, is now officially getting a prequel of its own.
Rumors about a possible Grease sequel first began to appear in early 2019, at which point it was claimed that scripts had already been written, and the project was moving forward under the working title of “Summer Loving.” It was also suggested that the plot would follow the same cast of characters who appeared in the 1970s film but at an earlier stage of their school life. Unless cameos are involved, that would rule out any possibility of an appearance by any surviving member of the original cast. The sketchy reports that reached the press last year also implied that the story would pick up after the events of “Summer Nights,” which tells the story of the first romantic meeting between Danny and Sandy, but before the two are reunited at high school and make a lasting connection. The time window would appear to be a short one, but there’s still enough space in the film’s canon to allow for at least a little drama.
While some fans are bound to be excited about the idea of reuniting with these beloved characters after more than forty years, it’s thought that plenty of people will have reservations. Few movies mean as much to their fans as Grease does. For many people who saw it when they were young, the film and its songs became a formative part of their childhoods. Grease stage shows still tour in front of sold-out audiences today. There’s even an official Grease game available to players at online slots websites like Roseslots.com. That might speak to the enduring appeal of the film more than anything else; there wasn’t even any such thing as online slots when Grease was released. In fact, there was no such thing as the internet. For someone to think that it was worth paying a license fee to make an official Grease online slots game so many years later, there has to be money to be made. Now, the people responsible for this same potential will apply to their new creation.
For over a year after the rumors of the prequel first appeared, there were no further reports. It had started to look like the project had fallen the way of so many reboots, remakes, and sequels over the years – receiving the green light and then entering into the notorious state of “development Hell,” or being canceled again after being approved. Thanks to an announcement that reached the media this week, we know that isn’t the case for the Grease project. It’s definitely going ahead, and now it has a director signed up to sit in the big chair in the shape of Brett Haley. At the same time as confirming that the film is now officially in pre-production, we’ve also learned confirmation that the rumors about the title were mostly correct. The ‘g’ has been removed from the end, but it will be released under the name “Summer Lovin’.”
Confirmation of the project’s progress and director came directly from Paramount, and so the existence of the prequel can no longer be disputed. By putting Haley in charge, the production company is indicating that this will be a big-budget film with high production values. Haley’s experience of crowd-pleasing musical movies is extensive, with hits like “Heart Beats Loud” and “I’ll See You In My Dreams” under his belt. He’s one of Hollywood’s hottest up-and-coming young directors.
The last time there was any “new” Grease on television or in cinemas was in 2016, when Julianne Hough and Vanessa Hudgens starred in “Grease: Live.” The show didn’t meet with universal acclaim and didn’t really include anything that fans hadn’t already seen. It was a slightly re-worked remake of the original rather than an attempt to do anything new with the property, and has now largely been forgotten even though it only happened four years ago. It’s thought to be highly unlikely that either Hudgens or Hough will appear in “Summer Lovin'” despite the fact that no decisions on casting have yet been taken. Instead of looking to bring in established stars, it’s likely that filmmakers will instead try to create new stars by working with younger talent.
Even with the go-ahead officially given to the film and a director in place, there’s no word yet on whether the script has been completed. If it has, it will still likely be several months before anything can go in front of the cameras because of the ongoing shutdown of almost all television and movie production facilities all over the world. Given that this will (presumably) be a summer film, it might be the case that filming doesn’t start until the middle of 2021. With that in mind, we wouldn’t expect to see the finished product until the summer of 2022 at the earliest. That might seem like a long time to wait, but when you consider the fact that fans have waited for more than forty years so far, another two isn’t the end of the world. It promises to be one of the major cinematic events of the year no matter when it’s released, and we’ll bring you all the latest news about it right here as soon as we’ve heard it ourselves.
