Jane Fonda Says '9 to 5' Sequel Moving Forward With Original Cast

The trio of women in 9 to 5 are going back to work for a sequel of the popular 1980's comedy.On [...]

The trio of women in 9 to 5 are going back to work for a sequel of the popular 1980's comedy.

On Wednesday, actress, Jane Fonda confirmed that a sequel of the popular '80s classic known for tackling sexism and chauvinism in the workplace is moving forward and in development, with herself, Dolly Parton, and Lily Tomlin poised to take on their iconic roles, Deadline reports.

"My role is as an executive producer, and I'm working with the writers, with Lily, and talking to the writers," Fonda told reporters at the Television Critics Association panel for her new HBO documentary, Jane Fonda in Five Acts. "Right now, Dolly, Lily and I are all intending to be in it."

News that a 9 to 5 sequel was possibly in the works first broke earlier this year, when Rashida Jones was said to be co-writing a script with original screenwriter Patricia Resnick. It was during that same time that Parton, who portrayed Doralee Rhodes, expressed her interest in stepping back into the shoes of her character, claiming that her co-stars were also eager to sign on for a reboot.

"I've been talking to Lily and Jane ..Actually all these years, we've talked about doing a sequel to 9 to 5 and it never made any real sense until just recently. We're trying to get the script and all that. Everybody is very interested and we've all agreed that we'd love to do it if it's right," Parton told ABC News.

The sequel, which will reportedly take place at the same office of Consolidated Companies, will likely explore the effects of technology and corporate voyeurism on modern-age workplace dynamics, a slight change to how the original film tackled issues of equal pay, childcare and bigotry.

"I'm sorry to say the situation is worse today," Fonda said. "Today a lot of the workforce is hired by an outside company. Who do you talk to if you have a problem?"

The original 9 to 5 saw Parton, Fonda, and Tomlin playing three secretaries who are passed over for promotions from their boss due to them being women while their ideas are commonly stolen without credit.

Premiering in 1980, the film remains one of the highest-grossing comedies to-date, with a reported $356 million adjusted haul (103.3 million in 1980). Its popularity went on to spawn a TV comedy and later a Tony-nominated Broadway musical in 2009 with a score from Parton.

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