‘9 To 5’ Remake Focuses On Gen Z Versus Boomers In Workplace, Says Diablo Cody

Diablo Cody has completed the script for the 9 to 5 remake.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly at Comic-Con 2024 on Friday, the filmmaker talked about the differences between her version from the 1980 classic starring Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda. The remake, which Jennifer Aniston will produce, is still in development.

“One thing that was really fun about it for me is that the original movie focused on the battle of the sexes and the corporate world,” Cody said. “And to me, I see most of the conflict taking place generationally, like Gen Z versus boomers in the workplace, and how now we have this whole generation of people coming up who’ve learned to set boundaries, and that is actually, shockingly enough, a new development.”

She added, “You have other generations out there in the corporate world who we’re told just to kind of suck it up. So there’s definitely a cultural clash there, and I thought, ‘Oh, this seems like it’s so ripe for comedic treatment.’”

There’s still a long way to go on the film.

“It hasn’t been cast or anything like that, but I feel like we’re moving forward with it. It was really an exciting thing to work on,” Cody said.

One of the original film’s cast has already weighed in on the new version. In May, Lily Tomlin claimed the original stars passed on it.

“We had one official crack at the script,” Tomlin said in a People interview. “The draft just didn’t work for us. We couldn’t really see the work world today [in the pages]. People work from home. They take gig work. They don’t even know their boss. They’re at home!”