Elizabeth Banks is expanding her producer’s catalog and tackling a fan-favorite 1985 comedy as The Hollywood Reporter has broken the story that Banks is set to produce a remake of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, the cult classic that starred Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt.
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun follows Janey, the new girl in town, who soon meets Lynne; they share a passion for dancing and “Dance TV” in particular. When a competition is announced to find a new Dance TV regular couple, Janey and Lynne are determined to audition. The only problem is that Janey’s father disapproves.
The 1985 teen comedy came from the defunct New World Pictures and was known for its impressive young cast that made more significant projects soon after. The cast included Sarah Jessica Parker, Helen Hunt, Lee Montgomery, Jonathan Silverman, Ed Lauter, and Shannen Doherty.
Village Roadshow will produce this modern-day remake, with Marja-Lewis Ryan (The L Word: Generation Q) co-writing the script with Allie Romano. Alison Small will executive produce for Brownstone Productions.
THR notes the upcoming remake “hopes to keep the celebration of female friendship, the humor, and the heart, plus the dance numbers.” Girl-centered teen films aren’t as common as one may think, and this could find a cult following much like the original.
The 1985 film currently streams on services like Pluto TV, Roku Channel, and Tubi.
