Grease 2 Star Adores Fandom Despite Critics Panning Sequel

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Grease 2 star Maxwell Caulfield has revealed his love of the fandom, despite the movie flopping spectacularly upon release. Back in 1978, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John became global icons after starring as the two leads in box office behemoth Grease, a movie that grossed $366 million against a budget of just $6 million, and enhanced the popularity of musicals in the United States. Four years after Grease took movie theaters by storm, the follow-up, Grease 2, was released, following a new group of characters, and with Caulfield and future Academy Award nominee Michelle Pfeiffer in the lead roles.

Produced on a budget of almost double what the original movie cost, Grease 2 was considered a box office bomb, recouping just over $15 million, and its poor performance led to the cancellation of planned future installments in the franchise. The original creators and production team behind the first movie did not return for the sequel either, with Grease co-creator Jim Jacobs expressing his displeasure at the film. Nevertheless, the movie enjoy a brief lease of life in the rental market following the new attention attracted in the wake of the 20th anniversary re-release of Grease in 1998.

Related: Why Grease 2 Was So Critically Hated?

In spite of the sequel flopping, it has developed and retained something of a cult following, and many regard it fondly. This is something that has continued to resonate with Caulfield over the years, as he discussed in a 40th anniversary retrospect with /Film. During the interview the British-born American spoke of how much he enjoys revisiting the movie, and is perfectly happy with it been seen as corny or cheesy. The Empire Records star opined, "The film has to be corny from time to time.