Jennifer Aniston is struggling to land a big-name actress to lead her 9 to 5 remake, the National ENQUIRER has learned — and if she can’t, she fears the project is doomed.
“Jen loves the 9 to 5 script but attaching other A-listers besides herself has proven challenging,” a source says.
“It’s been especially tough when it comes to the red-hot next-generation names who need to come aboard to make this film a must-see for both older and younger women.”
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Jen’s production company, Echo Films, announced last year that it was planning a “reimagining” of the hit 1980 comedy. It starred Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton as secretaries who band together to take down their sexist, egotistical boss, played by Dabney Coleman.
According to our source, at the top of Jen’s recruiting list are Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney, who gained huge fan followings while starring in HBO’s blockbuster teen drama Euphoria.
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“Unfortunately, both girls are booked solid for the next two or three years, and the 9 to 5 brand doesn’t hold a lot of cultural currency for actors under the age of 40,” confides the insider.
“It means a lot more to Jen and her generation, but that’s not enough.”
“As it stands, the project needs an injection of ‘cool’ — and that comes down to Jen’s choice of director and whether that choice can push the project into a higher gear.”
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“Jen would love to work with a female director but there’s a very limited talent pool out there. She’ll need some out-of-the-box thinking to score a green light for this project.”
“Besides that, she wanted to shoot 9 to 5 this year, during her break from her gig on TV’s The Morning Show. That didn’t happen and it was a major disappointment, but she’s not giving up on this project just yet.”
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On the upside, two of the OG film’s stars have Jen’s back.
“We hope she has great success. It’s a hard nut to crack because the issues are somewhat different,” Lily said.
Jane chimed in, “I hope she does it.”
