Ali
40 years after the original comedy hit was released in theaters, the stars of “9 to 5” are reuniting for a sequel that many, including its lead trio, feel is necessary.
Speaking to EW for her upcoming “Dumplin'” soundtrack, actress and singer Dolly Parton explained “Through the years, I think that [the original] 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?”
“I’m sorry to say the situation is worse today,” co-star Jane Fonda said at a TCA panel earlier this Summer, of the kind of workplace harassment and mistreatment portrayed so memorably in the film. “Today a lot of the workforce is hired by an outside company. Who do you talk to if you have a problem?”
Parton suggests that the new film will team herself, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin with three hot young actresses – none of whom have been announced yet.
“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,” she adds with a laugh, “there’s having six great women, instead of just the three.”
The screenplay for the film is coming along, says Parton, with Pat Resnick and Rashida Jones putting pen to paper on it.
“We’re hopefully gonna get to see that soon,” Parton says. “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.”
