Grease appears to be the word again. Or at least linked with "franchise potential". A prequel film is already in development and now one of the newer streaming services looking to make its mark – HBO Max – is working with Paramount on a new TV spin-off of the original movie called Rydell High.
Returning to the titular school, the show promises to blend the movie and new stories together. Per the press release, "A joyous musical series set in and around the world of Rydell High, the show reimagines the global smash hit movie with some characters you already know, and a whole lot more you will soon meet. It’s still the 1950s, a world that rocks with big musical numbers from the period combined with new original songs as well. It’s the peer pressures of high school, the horrors of puberty, and the rollercoaster of life in middle America with a modern sensibility that will bring it to life for today’s musical lovers." Which is nice.
"Grease is an iconic pop-culture phenomenon that works for every generation, and I’m thrilled that our friends at Paramount were excited about the idea of opening up the show and putting it on a larger canvas for a weekly series," says HBO Max's Sarah Aubrey. "This is high school and life in small-town USA told on the scale of a big rock’n’roll musical. It’s Grease 2.0 but with the same spirit, energy, and excitement you immediately think of when you hear any of these iconic songs."
No information was offered on when the show might premiere (and when/whether HBO Max might make it to the UK), but if you're a Grease fan, this could be a good time for you.