It’s been in the works for a while, but the Grease prequel finally has a cast and has begun filming. Originally ordered way back in November 2019 by HBO Max, at which point it was titled Grease: Rydell High, the show moved to Paramount+, which was then still CBS All Access, in October 2020 and was renamed Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. Now, principal photography is officially underway in Vancouver, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, and the cast has been unveiled.
The show takes place four years before the events of the 1978 film, which sets it in 1954. The official description teases that “before rock ‘n’ roll ruled, before the T-Birds were the coolest in school, four fed-up outcasts dare to have fun on their own terms, sparking a moral panic that will change Rydell High forever.” The series comes from showrunner Annabel Oakes, best known for Atypical and Transparent. Alethea Jones is directing the pilot and two additional episodes, in addition to executive producing along with Oakes, Temple Hill’s Marty Bowen, Adam Fishbach, Picturestart’s Erik Feig and Sammie Falvey, and Grace Gilroy. Jamal Sims has been tapped as choreographer and Justin Tranter is working on the music.
The cast includes Marisa Davila as Jane, Cheyenne Isabel Wells as Olivia, Ari Notartomaso as Cynthia, Tricia Fukuhara as Nancy, Shanel Bailey as Hazel, Madison Thompson as Susan, Johnathan Nieves as Richie, Jason Schmidt as Buddy, Maxwell Whittington-Cooper as Wally, and Jackie Hoffman as Asst. Principal McGee. The show will consist of ten episodes and is expected to debut sometime in 2022.
Nicole Clemens, president of Paramount Television Studios & Paramount+ Original Scripted Series, had plenty of enthusiasm to share. “We are thrilled to unveil our new original series that will introduce an incredible cast of young stars in the making and electrifying musical numbers you will fall in love with. Annabel and Alethea have managed to brilliantly capture the spirit of the iconic beloved classic film which like Rise of the Pink Ladies, is both set in the past but relevant to the present.”
The original film, which earned an Oscar nomination for its classic song Hopelessly Devoted to You, did have a poorly-received sequel, Grease 2, that opened in 1982 and starred Michelle Pfeiffer. Grease: Live, which debuted six years ago today on Fox and featured Julianne Hough, Aaron Tveit, and Vanessa Hudgens, earned far better reviews and demonstrated an excitement for the spirit of the original, which should be on full display in Rise of the Pink Ladies.