We first heard of the planned sequel to the workplace comedy 9 To 5 back at the beginning of the year when Rashida Jones and original film co-writer Patricia Resnick had been signed to write the follow up. It was the height of the #metoo moment and it seemed like a very opportune time to revisit Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton’s characters of office workers who fight back against their sexist boss. Speaking with reporters today at a Television Critics Association press event for an upcoming HBO documentary on her life, Fonda revealed that the project is on track and that all three of the film’s original stars are set to come back.
My role is as an executive producer, and I’m working with the writers, with Lily, and talking to the writers… Right now Dolly, Lily and I are all intending to be in it.
Fonda stated that she feels that things have gotten worse, not better for women in the workplace since their hit comedy was in theaters in 1980 and that the state of the business world today and the role of social media in society will play into the sequel’s story.
I’m sorry to say that the situation is worse today… Back in the day the company was called Consolidated, which it still is in the new one. You were hired by the company and complained to the company. Today a lot of the work force is hired by an outside company. Who do you talk to if you have a problem? [And] with social media everything is spied upon … So it’s much worse.
Upon its initial release, 9 To 5 made $103.3 million at the domestic box office, which comes out to $356 million adjusted for inflation. Parton’s theme song for the movie was a number one crossover hit though a sitcom spinoff did not fare so well.
