Paramount+ unveils young cast for Grease musical TV series

Get ready to meet the new class at Rydell High. On Monday, Paramount+ unveiled the cast for its upcoming musical TV series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.

Set four years before the events of the original 1978 film Grease, Rise of the Pink Ladies stars Marisa Davila as Jane, Cheyenne Isabel Wells as Olivia, Ari Notartomaso as Cynthia, Tricia Fukuhara as Nancy, Shanel Bailey as Hazel, Madison Thompson as Susan, Johnathan Nieves as Richie, Jason Schmidt as Buddy, Maxwell Whittington-Cooper as Wally, and Jackie Hoffman as Assistant Principal McGee.

McGee, at least, is a recognizable character from the original films, but clearly a few years away from attaining the top executive position at the school in this series.

Paramount+ describes the series' 1954 setting thusly: "Before rock 'n' roll ruled, before the T-Birds were the coolest in the school, four fed-up outcasts dare to have fun on their own terms, sparking a moral panic that will change Rydell High forever."

Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies is written and executive produced by creator Annabel Oakes (Atypical), who also serves as showrunner. Alethea Jones (Evil) will direct the pilot plus two more episodes and will executive produce. All 10 episodes of the show will exclusively hit Paramount+ later this year.

"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," Paramount Television Studios President Nicole Clemens said in a statement. "Annabel and Alethea 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."

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