TVUSA
HBO Max has ordered Grease: Rydell High, a musical series inspired by the 1978 Golden Globe-nominated film Grease.
A musical series set in and around the world of Rydell High, the show reimagines the hit movie with some familiar characters and new ones as well. The series will feature 1950s-inspired musical numbers combined with new original songs. 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 are showcased in the spin-off.
Picturestart and Temple Hill will serve as executive producers and Paramount Television and Picturestart will produce the series. Additionally, Temple Hill, Picturestart and Paramount Pictures are in development on a feature film prequel to Grease, entitled Summer Lovin’.
“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 at 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!”
Nicole Clemens, president of Paramount Television, added: “Grease is one of the most beloved Paramount titles and it’s a thrill to be reimagining it for today’s audience with our good friends at Temple Hill and Picturestart. 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.”
