Back in February, there were whispers that Rashida Jones was in talks to remake 9 to 5 for “the #MeToo era.” This confused me, considering that 9 to 5 is already a movie about sexual harassment and predatory office politics—politics which arguably haven’t changed since 1980. You really don’t have to bend over backwards to update it with a #MeToo framework! But now a sequel is officially getting made, and the holy trinity of Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton, and Lily Tomlin are all returning.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Fonda told press at the Television Critics Association that she’ll be working on the sequel as an executive producer, and that the film might incorporate how technology has made every office a panopticon of never-ending work! “I’m sorry to say the situation is worse today,” she said. “Today a lot of the workforce is hired by an outside company. Who do you talk to if you have a problem?”
I wonder how 9 to 5 will deal with a typical 2018 workplace, i.e. one that’s primarily composed of freelancers, lack of benefits, worthy salaries, Slack, and a workday that’s actually more like 9 to 9!
As The Hollywood Reporter notes, “9 to 5 remains one of the highest-grossing box office comedies of all time, with a whopping $356 million adjusted haul (103.3 million in 1980).”