Dolly Parton Wants ‘9 to 5′ Sequel to Be Great
“I was never willing to do a sequel, because they never came up with anything that was as good as the original,” she explained.
When Jane Fonda announced that 9 to 5 would be getting a sequel, working women (well, everyone) everywhere let out a cheer. The comedy about three ambitious women (Fonda, Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin) who try to take down their sexist boss has become an anthem for women’s rights, a battle that wages on 40 years later.
All three of the original cast members are slated to return for the sequel, with Parton dishing on what to expect from the new film.
“Pat Resnick, who wrote the original, she’s writing with Rashida Jones, so we’re hopefully gonna get to see that soon,” Parton recently shared with EW. “And I’m sure that we’ll make some changes, but I’m certain that we’ll get it to where we all agree. We’re all so excited about it, I’ve been advertisin’ that we are doing it! Of course you always have to approve it — I don’t want to be a part of anything that’s not gonna be great, which I’m sure that it will be.”
Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton and Jane Fonda; Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
The decision to recreate magic was difficult for the legendary singer as topping the original will be a tough feat.
“I was never willing to do a sequel, because they never came up with anything that was as good as the original,” she explained. “I don’t like to mess with history, you know? But this would be addressing the same issues, and they need to be addressed again and some more, in different ways.”
She added, “Through the years, I think that it stayed popular because it was very entertaining and it was well done. It had the comedy, but it also had great subject matter…. And because of the #MeToo movement and women trying harder to stand up for who they are and their rights, it seemed to be the perfect time to do it. You know how some things just happen at the right time?”
While the details surrounding the new movie are still scarce, Parton is excited to see what the next generation of women bring to the table.
“This gives us a chance to have three new young [women], whoever they may be, working at Consolidated, the company that we were with, and then they find these three older women — Lily, Jane, and myself — working out in the workplace, and so they wanna find out what we did. They’re gonna pick our brains for information, so that’s gonna actually lend itself to some really funny stuff, some cute stuff. And then there’s having six great women, instead of just the three.”
The film isn’t the only revival of 9 to 5 in the works. Shortly after announcing plans for the movie, Parton shared that a musical version would be hitting the London theater scene in 2019. 9 to 5 The Musical is slated to premiere at the Savoy Theatre in London for a limited season from January 28 through August 31, 2019.
