Everything we know about the ‘9-5’ remake: Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda

Nostalgia for the ’80s has been inspiring entertainment long before streaming “Stranger Things.” Classic films from “Pretty Woman” to “American Psycho” have been adapted into musicals on Broadway. And last year, “Top Gun: Maverick” took off at the box office and entered the Oscar race for best picture, cementing shorts, jet-sets and long-overdue ’80s sequels as timeless symbols of Hollywood excellence.

So they politely but firmly asked: where the hell is our “9 to 5” wake?

Colin Higgins’ 1980 workplace comedy, starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton, is an all-time great revenge comedy with a twist of its time. The feature-length feminist rally tells the story of three office workers who dream of getting even with their horrible boss, Mr. Hart (Dabney Coleman): a sexist and self-centered jerk who, let’s be honest, actually had confidence. – the head comes.

From an unforgettable animated series featuring Tomlin as Snow White and a scene in which Fonda proudly announces, “I once smoked a weed cigarette at a party,” “9 to 5” launched one of the greatest comedic partnerships of the 20th and 21st . centuries. It remains ripe for revisiting with the “Grace & Frankie” duo, who still frequently work together on the big and small screens.

“I don’t even know if we’ve made a connection between 9 to 5 and ‘Moving On,'” Tomlin told IndieWire in an interview about the latter film: another feminist revenge epic, “Grandma.” from its author. directed by Paul Weitz. Now in theaters, Weitz’s latest stars Fonda and Tomlin as accomplices in a murder plot.

“We didn’t want to kill Mr. Hart,” notes Tomlin with a wry smile. – We only wanted to remove him from the assignment for a short time.

Rumors of a 9 to 5 sequel/remake/spiritual successor have been swirling around cinema’s metaphorical water cooler for years, and Fonda and Tomlin have freely shared their enthusiasm for the project in interviews. Interest in its maybe-movie status was renewed in early 2023 amid press for Kyle Marvin’s sports comedy “80 for Brady,” which recently reunited Tomlin, Fonda and Parton for the second time (albeit only in music). Parton also made a cameo appearance in the series finale of “Grace & Frankie” last year, literally acting as an angel.

Following Fonda and Tomlin’s ‘Moving On’ press tour, here’s everything we know about a possible ‘9 to 5’ sequel.

Lily Tomlin is currently hosting ‘9 to 5’

Image credit: Courtesy of the Everett Collection

When asked about his dreams for a possible “9 to 5” follow-up, Tomlin told IndieWire, “I have high hopes!” “More than Jane.” Jane has turned to climate change and is very involved, and rightly so.”

“I want any material that’s just really rich and true, not dishonest, and somehow intended to communicate something better to humanity,” he said of future projects he’s interested in more generally. “I’m interested in any human problem, any human condition, anything related to humanity that is positive or says something meaningful about how we live or what we do with each other, any number of things like that. But we like to bring in the comedy.”
Jane Fonda has yet to see a script she’s satisfied with

Image credit: Courtesy of the Everett Collection

“We weren’t able to get a script that we were happy with,” Fonda told Entertainment Tonight in 2023. “If you don’t have the script, you can’t start.”

In the same interview, Tomlin gave the film a “50-50” chance of happening, saying, “We always keep that secret little sequel. We’re trying to get it done before one of us checks out, so hopefully we can.”
Patricia Resnick and Rashida Jones have been attached to the sequel…

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Further in 2018 ABC NewsDolly Parton has announced that a sequel is in the works. Original co-writers Patricia Resnick and Rashida Jones are said to be attached.

“All these years we’ve talked about doing a sequel to ‘9 to 5,’ but it never made any sense,” Parton said at the time. Until recently — all equal work for equal pay and all workplace harassment (around the #MeToo movement debate) we decided to try to do another one.”
… Which would have featured a new generation of young women

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“They pitched an idea the other day and I said yes,” Parton said in the same interview with ABC News. She explained the proposed film would “bring in some new girls… and they’re going to find us, the old characters. We all invented our own business. So they come to us to ask for some input.”

The project was effectively canceled in 2019 due to script issues.
Lily Tomlin Wants Paul Weitz to Write a New ‘9 to 5’

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Advertising for “Moving On” is the “The viewTomlin suggested that Paul Weitz try writing a new “9 to 5”. Fonda was visibly surprised.

“It was completely unexpected!” Tomlin told IndieWire with a laugh. “It never occurred to me to do that.”

“(The three of us) haven’t talked about Paul, although I mentioned it to Jane,” Tomlin explained. “It was like an intuitive thing. I don’t know if Paul would even think of such an idea, because as an artist he will mostly do what he wants.”

In an email to IndieWire, Weitz responded to the suggestion by (presumably) joking, “I’d love to write a 5 to 9 movie where they’re all vampires.”
Dolly Parton would definitely participate in the project…

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Fonda and Tomlin have been working together more often thanks to their robust filmography, but fans can be sure that the new “9 to 5” would definitely involve Dolly.

“We’re such a good trio that you always want to use the entertainment you’ve done in the past,” Tomlin told IndieWire. “Anyway, it’s wonderful.” People respond so well to Dolly, so you want that to happen again. In a way, it’s like an old relationship, like, “Oh, we can’t let this go! We have to keep that in our bubble.”
… And possibly a new theme song

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And if you’ve got Dolly involved, you know there’s a chance for a new country classic. (Parton even turned the original film into a 2009 Broadway musical.)

“Would you like Dolly to be in a new ‘9-5,’ that’s for sure,” Tomlin told IndieWire. “I mean, who’s going to write the theme song? I remember him finding out about filming the original and playing the theme song on his nails. And Jane and I looked at each other and it was like – that was a great song. It was so appropriate for the film. And I said, “Well, the song will be a hit if the movie isn’t a big hit.”
‘Still Working 9 to 5’ is a documentary about the impact of the film…

Image Credit: Courtesy of Still Working 9 to 5

While plans for a new scripted “9 to 5” chapter aren’t firm, the film’s lasting legacy has already been captured in a documentary. “Still working 9 to 5” reviews the 40-year evolution of gender inequality and discrimination in the workplace and features interviews with key players: Fonda, Tomlin, Parton and Coleman. It won Best Feature at the Nashville Film Festival and Best of the Festival and Best Documentary at the Idyllwild International Film Festival. It was also nominated for the Critics Choice Documentary Award for Best Historical Documentary.
…with a new Parton (and Kelly Clarkson) track

Image Credit: Courtesy of Still Working 9 to 5

“Still Working 9 to 5” was recorded by Parton and longtime admirer Kelly Clarkson Duet version of “9 to 5”. The song can be heard during the filming of the documentary.