Entertainment TV 'Grease' Prequel Series 'Rise of the Pink Ladies' Begins Production for Release Later This Year The Paramount+ original musical series will star Jackie Hoffman and a cast of newcomers By Dan Heching Dan Heching Digital News Writer, PEOPLE People Editorial Guidelines Published on January 31, 2022 09:06 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Paramount+ The gang of much-loved girls from Rydell High are about to get their very own origin story! On Monday, Paramount+ announced the start of production on a new Grease prequel musical series, titled Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies. Inspired by the iconic 1978 film, the show will explore the evolution of the Pink Ladies, a clique of straight-talking high school girls made famous by Stockard Channing and Didi Conn in their respective roles as Rizzo and Frenchy. Maxwell Caulfield: Michelle Pfeiffer's Rise to Fame After Grease 2 Was 'a Kick in the Pants' The new series is set to star Marisa Davila, Cheyenne Isabel Wells, Ari Notartomaso and Tricia Fukuhara, along with veteran actress Jackie Hoffman as Asst. Principal McGee. According to an announcement from Paramount+, the series will take place four years before the original Grease when "four fed-up outcasts dare to have fun on their own terms, sparking a moral panic that will change Rydell High forever." "We are thrilled to unveil our new original series that will introduce an incredible cast of young stars in the making and electrifying musical numbers you will fall in love with," said Paramount Television Studios and Paramount+ Original Scripted Series president Nicole Clemens. RELATED VIDEO: DWTS: Spice Girls' Melanie C Eliminated from Season 30 on Grease Night "[Writer and executive producer] Annabel [Oakes] and [director and executive producer] Alethea [Jones] have managed to brilliantly capture the spirit of the iconic beloved classic film which like Rise of the Pink Ladies, is both set in the past but relevant to the present," she added. The original Grease starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John as high school love interests who reunite after a brief summer fling. The immensely popular film, based on the 1971 musical of the same name, went on to spawn a 1982 sequel starring Michelle Pfeiffer, as well as several subsequent stage adaptations. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The new prequel series joins another proposed Grease prequel, titled Summer Lovin', which is reportedly also being developed at Paramount. The 10-episode season of Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies will be available on Paramount+ later this year.