HBO Max has ordered musical series Grease: Rydell High, which is inspired by 1978 film Grease. The show reimagines the film with characters that viewers will recall, and some new ones too. Like the film, it is set in the 1950s.
“It’s the peer pressures of high school, the horrors of puberty, and the roller coaster of life in middle America with a modern sensibility that will bring it to life for today’s musical lovers,” according to HBO Max.
HBO Max debuts spring 2020.
“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,” said Sarah Aubrey, head of original content, HBO Max. “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. You’re the One That I Want!”
Paramount Television and Picturestart will produce the series.
“Grease is one of the most beloved Paramount titles and it’s a thrill to be re-imagining it for today’s audience with our good friends at Temple Hill and Picturestart,” said Nicole Clemens, president of Paramount Television. “When Bob Greenblatt called about bringing it to television, we knew we would be in the perfect hands because of our great working relationship with HBO Max and Bob’s genuine passion for musicals and Grease in particular.”
HBO Max draws content from the Warner Media library, including Warner Bros., New Line, DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth and Looney Tunes.
Temple Hill, Picturestart and Paramount Pictures are in development on a feature film prequel to Grease, entitled Summer Lovin’.
