Jane Fonda Confirms 9 to 5 Sequel Is in the Works with Original Stars Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin
Jane Fonda is heading back to her day job.
The Book Club star, 80, revealed she and former 9 to 5 costars Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin were onboard to star in the sequel of their 1980 classic.
“My involvement is an executive producer and together with Lily, we’re working with the writers,” Fonda told reporters at a Television Critics Association press tour for an HBO documentary on her life on Wednesday.
“Right now, Dolly, Lily and I are all intending to be in it,” she said.
The original film follows three working women who live out their fantasy of getting even with their antagonistic boss, played by Dabney Coleman.
“I’m sorry to say the situation is worse today,” Fonda said, referring to harassment in the workforce, and added that some companies now outsource their employees. “Today, a lot of the workforce [is] hired by an outside company, so if there’s a problem, who do you complain to? Who do you fight with?”
“Plus with social media, the Internet, you can be spied on very easily,” she added. “I do think sexual harassment will tend to drop because guys are scared.”
The actresses have kept the film alive in recent years. At the 2017 Emmy Awards, the trio presented the award for best supporting actor in a limited series or movie together — though they used their entrance speech to make a dig at President Donald Trump.
“Back in 1980 in 9 to 5, we refused to be controlled by a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot,” Fonda said.
“And in 2017, we still refused to be controlled by a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot,” Tomlin added.
Parton, meanwhile, simply said she was excited to be there with her former costars, noting that she was just there to “have fun.”
“Personally, I have been waiting for a 9 to 5 reunion ever since we did the first one,” she said, joking about a plot point in the last season of Tomlin and Fonda’s show. “I’m just hoping that I’m going to get one of those Grace and Frankie vibrators in my swag bag tonight.”
At Tomlin’s lifetime achievement award ceremony in early 2017, Partson addressed those who were hoping for a 9 to 5 sequel, saying, “People have wanted another 9 to 5, but I think we’d have to call it 95!”
with reporting by KARA WARNER
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