"Grease" Lightning Strikes Again

Mon., May. 5, 2003 9:15 AM PDT by

Twenty-five years after its original release and it seems Grease is still the word, no matter what the decade.

The sing-along flick is dropping its hot rods, hair gel and black leather jackets for a '70s-era makeover courtesy of Paramount Pictures, which has given the green light to developing Grease 3, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Unlike the original's ignominious 1982 sequel, which featured a new cast led by Maxwell Caulfield and Michelle Pfeiffer (in one of her earliest roles), the third installment will focus on the children of the original greasers played to perfection by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.

However, the time, place and motion for the new installment will reportedly be set in those summer-lovin' nights of the late 1970's disco era, when bell bottoms and polyester ruled.

While Paramount had no comment Monday on the sequel, the Reporter says the studio has already begun commissioning a screenplay and is eyeing numerous writers for the project.

Paramount head Sherry Lansing originally sparked to a Next Generation-style sequel after Didi Conn--the actress who played Frenchie in both Grease and its follow-up--pitched her the idea at a DVD release party the studio threw for Grease last fall (where Travolta and Newton-John thrilled guests with an encore rendition of "You're the One That I Want.")

Conn was apparently very persuasive. She has since been tapped as executive producer.

To avoid the pitfalls that befell the unknown cast of Grease 2, Paramount reportedly hopes to negotiate the return of Travolta, Newton-John and the rest of the T-Birds and Pink Ladies, including Stockard Channing who burned up the screen with relish as Betty Rizzo singing "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee."

Those talks will presumably heat up once the script has been completed.

One thing's for sure, Grease hasn't slid out of the public consciousness. The original--1978's biggest moneymaker having grossed $181 million domestically and almost $380 million worldwide--was rereleased by Paramount in 1998 to much fanfare. And the spirit was kept alive for much of the last decade with a long-running Broadway version, a revival of the original 1972 stage musical.

Meanwhile, despite the news of the original cast potentially reuniting, the hopelessly devoted fans of 'N Sync must feel a tad let down.

Three years ago, the ?ber-boy band announced they were developing their own script for Grease 3 with Justin Timberlake's former gal-pal Britney Spears rumored to be a Pink Lady. However, unless Danny and Sandy have quintuplets, it appears unlikely the boys will be involved.

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