The 1980 workplace comedy 9 to 5 has inspired and entertained countless people, particularly women, over the years, and Jennifer Aniston is no exception. The actor has long been a fan of Dolly Parton, who stars in the film and wrote its catchy title track, “9 to 5,” and now that Aniston is diving further into her career as a producer, a remake of the classic movie seemed like an obvious choice. “[This movie] captured her imagination when she was just a little kid,” a source told Closer. “It’s a movie that changed her life.”
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But such a beloved film with an all-star cast begs the question: who will Aniston get to replace the iconic trio that was Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin? After all, a large part of that movie’s charm has to do with how these women interacted with and supported one another. Judy, Violet, and Doralee need to be an ensemble, not just three celebrity leads.
We think Aniston’s dream trio hits the nail on the head.
Jennifer Aniston Eyes This Dream Trio For ‘9 to 5’ Remake
According to an inside source who spoke to Life & Style in January 2025, “The script [for the 9 to 5 remake] is looking good, and so Jen is now turning her attention to recruiting some next-generation talent into the project. There’s only a handful of names on her list that can add to the momentum of the project.” Those momentum-adding names in question? Ariana Grande, Sydney Sweeney, and Zendaya. And indeed, that’s an impressive amount of star power, considering all three women have been at the helm of some of the largest film and television franchises in recent memory.
The source told the magazine that Aniston’s team isn’t necessarily confident they can land all three actors, citing scheduling conflicts and Aniston’s eagerness to get started on the project right away. But as of right now, everything seems fluid. If the allure of having this specific trio overrides the urgency to start working, then it stands to reason that the production crew might push things back a bit. Aniston has said she’s interested in the trio because they’ve all “proven they can do comedy and bring their own fan bases into film projects,” which is undoubtedly true.
Working with Dolly Parton on the 9 to 5 remake is another dream. However, Aniston seems to be erring on the side of pessimism. “Everybody around the project right now, which is currently seeking its director, is preparing for the reality that the only thing the movie might get from Dolly is the right to use her famous classic theme song. Dolly may have said some nice things about the project in the past, but Dolly is old, Dolly still works all the time. Even a small cameo or a brand new song could be asking too much.”
Even The Use Of The Theme Song Would Be A Massive Win
While it’s still unclear whether Jennifer Aniston will land her dream cast (and Dolly Parton collaboration) with her 9 to 5 remake, even getting to use the iconic theme song, “9 to 5,” would be a huge win for the project. It’s nearly impossible to imagine the workplace comedy about three women sticking it to their misogynistic, creepy bosses and toxic exes without Parton’s country smash hit. The title track has since become one of Parton’s most famous songs, which is doubly impressive when one considers that she began writing it while sitting around on the film set. With no guitar to occupy her time, she began playing percussion on her acrylic nails.
Parton noticed her nails clacking together sounded a lot like the clacking of a typewriter, and the rest is history. What a way to make a living.
Photo by Rich Polk/NBC via Getty Images
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