The 1978 film Grease is one of the most beloved movie musical of all time, and it was only a matter of time before someone was going to go back to the well on this one. However, Paramount Pictures isn’t planning a remake of Grease, but actually a prequel to the original classic. According to The Hollywood Reporter, writer John August has been tapped to write the screenplay for Summer Lovin‘, a movie set in the summer before Rydell High’s 1958-59 school year.
As anyone who has ever seen Grease or gone to karaoke can recall, the “Summer Lovin'” amounted to 18-year-old Danny Zucco meeting Australian Sandy Olsson on the beach. They had a lovely and wholesome love affair that involved Sandy swimming by Danny and getting a cramp. Danny then saved her life (she nearly drowned!), and then showed off by splashing around. Apparently, there is a whole movie in here somewhere.
Whoever ends up playing Danny and Sandy will have big shoes to fill. Even more, though, whoever has to come up with songs for this will have the biggest task of all. Almost every song in the original Grease song book is a classic, and even the makers of Grease 2 could never replicate the magic of those original songs. Yes, we know Grease 2 has its fans, but there’s a reason it’s never been as a stage show. The songs are pretty subpar. Well, maybe except for “Cool Rider.”
John August wrote Big Fish, which is one of Tim Burton’s best films, so maybe we are judging too harshly. After all, the Grease Live musical that aired on Fox a couple of years back turned out pretty darn great. Maybe the lesson with Grease should be “stick to the original.” We do hope that in keeping with tradition, Sandy and Danny will be played by 30-year-olds.
Images: Paramount Pictures
