'Grease' prequel 'Summer Loving' may address bizarre theory about the movie being a "drowning woman's coma fantasy"
'Grease' never gets old, so when the prequel to the much-loved musical was announced on April 9, fans' excitement knew no bounds. The iconic teen movie of 1978 may boast an epic love story and some fashion preaching, but behind the colors of the classic musical about bad-boy, good-girl lovers, there's a very dark theory underlining the story.
Remember 'Summer Nights' when Sandy sings of her time with Danny? In the lyrics, she reminisces about how Danny saved her from drowning? Also, what of the unexplained ending where they both fly off into the sky in a red vintage car?
Given that the title of the prequel is 'Summer Loving' fans are hopeful that this will address the bizarre fan theory that did the rounds on Reddit in 2013, and frankly, never died, thanks to the internet.
So, the theory goes like this; cue, the above-mentioned final scene and one line from the early song seem to indicate Sandy was dying the whole time and all the events in the film took place while she was drowning.
"The entire movie was a drowning woman's coma fantasy," the Reddit post noted. How else would you explain the car defying the law of gravity and flying off into the sky? "At the start of the film we see Danny and Sandy meet at the beach. Later, Danny explains through song that they first met when Danny saved her life - 'she nearly drowned.'"
The theory suggests Sandy did drown on the beach that day and everything that unfurled was her dying fantasy. The final scene where they mounted the sky in a convertible meant ascending to heaven. Many believe the theory holds true and some have cited that Danny called her 'Sandy' because they met on a beach.
"Everything that happens in the last scene is just a little TOO perfect," reported Good Housekeeping quoting the user behind this theory. "Danny and Sandy are back together despite everything, Rizzo SUDDENLY isn't pregnant AND Kenickie suddenly decides that he actually loves her, the geeky kid gets onto the sports team, EVERYTHING is suddenly okay, just the way that sweet, innocent Sandy would have wanted it to be."
The publication also quoted another Reddit user: "Danny tried to save a beautiful stranger from drowning but lost his own life as well in the process." This bizarre theory has been teased a couple of times by the showmakers and the stars themselves.
John Travolta, who played Danny in the musical said of the morbid theory to USA Today; "I love it; imaginations are awesome."
"These things are bound to happen to something timeless like this. It's so fun," he added without confirming it, but of course he would not want his sweetheart to die the way the theory suggests. “I think [Sandy and Danny] had several kids, which people did in those days, they adored their kids, and they held on to their romance. Sandy and Danny were the real deal,” he added, bringing a whole new bright mood to the conspiracy theory.
Olivia Newton-John, who played Sandy, weighed in on the coma-theory in 2016, when it went viral again, thanks to Sarah Michelle Gellar. Newton-John laughed it off, saying, "If that’s the case, then we were the first zombie musical."
But the theory, so massive, of course, blew up and reached director Randal Kleiser, who told USA Today that he was planning to address the conspiracy rumor someday. With 'Summer Loving' has that someday arrived?
Today reported the 'Grease' director saying in an email: "I've read all the comments and theories about the ending of 'Grease.' I am in the midst of writing a book and will reveal all about that." Could the prequel put an end to the theory that refuses to die. We are longing for 'Summer Loving.'
