Mike Nichols’s 1988 rom-com Working Girl is a cult classic – the delightful tale of Staten Island-based secretary Tess, played by a bouffanted, power-shouldered Melanie Griffith, who impersonates her high-powered boss Katharine (an acerbic Sigourney Weaver) in a bid to get ahead. So, considering the flurry of ’80s reboots and sequels that are currently in the works in Hollywood—Dirty Dancing, Fatal Attraction, *Flashdance—*it comes as no surprise that a reimagining of the corporate Cinderella story is also on its way. What may surprise you, however, is that the star set to spearhead the project is not one of the original film’s cast members. Instead, it’s 30-year-old multihyphenate Selena Gomez.
Melanie Griffith in Working Girl.Photo: 20th Century Fox / Everett Collection
On August 2, Deadline reported that 20th Century is in the midst of developing a revival of the frothy romp with the prolific actor and musician in final negotiations to produce. The publication added that Ilana Peña, the creator of Disney+’s Diary of a Future President and a staff writer on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, would be penning the script, and it’s expected that the new release will premiere on Hulu.
The other questions on everyone’s lips? Will Gomez, who has been lauded for her performance in the first two seasons of Only Murders in the Building, be taking on a role in front of the camera as well as behind it? And if so, would she play the endearing heroine, the polished Katharine, or Cyn, Tess’s flamboyant best friend, previously embodied by a wild-haired Joan Cusack? And who will inherit the part of Jack, the dashing executive who catches Tess’s eye, from the charismatic Harrison Ford?
Whatever happens though, the costumes—which in the original ranged from sleek suits and bejeweled party dresses to luxurious trench coats paired with sneakers—are sure to be sensational, and reason enough to tune in.
