A “Grease” Prequel is Officially in the Works

"Summer Loving" will give us the story behind the hit film's most infectious earworm.

Grease prequel
Danny and Sandy in the original film.
(Paramount/ Rso/Kobal/REX/ Shutterstock)

Editor’s Note: RealClearLife, a news and lifestyle publisher, is now a part of InsideHook. Together, we’ll be covering current events, pop culture, sports, travel, health and the world.

It’s been over 40 years since Danny Zucko and Sandy Olsson first told movie goers about their summer fling, and now they’re finally ready to tell us more.

A prequel to the 1978 hit movie musical Grease is officially in the works, Deadline reportedThe new film, Summer Loving, will tell the story of how Danny and Sandy met, presumably filling in the gaps left by one of the musical’s catchiest and/or most grating numbers, “Summer Nights.”

Aladdin screenwriter John August will write the new prequel, Deadline confirmed.

While some diehard Grease stans welcomed the news, others remained skeptical of a new installation in the seemingly endless series.

However, if we didn’t learn our lesson from Grease 2, producers certainly took notes from 2016’s massively successful Grease Live. The live Fox airing, which starred Julianne Hough and Vanessa Hudgens, took home five Emmys and proved the demand for more Grease offshoots remains alive and well.

Meanwhile, other fans questioned if the prequel was really necessary. After all, the original film did include an entire song devoted to explaining the very backstory Summer Nights purports to tackle.

However, as someone who forced loved ones to listen to “Summer Nights” on repeat for the majority of my childhood after a good-intentioned relative made the mistake of giving me a copy of the Grease soundtrack, I can confirm that there’s still more story to be told. After all, the whole point of the song is the comedic irony resulting from the discrepancies between Danny and Sandy’s recollections of their summer fling. (Danny recounts a raunchier affair, while Sandy weaves a chaste tale of an innocent summer romance.)

Clearly there are three sides to this story: Danny’s, Sandy’s, and John August’s.

The InsideHook Newsletter.

News, advice and insights for the most interesting person in the room.