Dolly Parton's '9 to 5' Returns to Theaters This October After Her Death
Disney and 20th Century Studios are bringing Dolly Parton’s 1980 film 9 to 5 back to theaters for a limited one-week engagement beginning October 9, 2026. All proceeds from U.S. ticket sales will benefit The Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library, the book-gifting program Parton founded in 1995. The rerelease arrives roughly six weeks after Parton died on August 25 at age 80, and coincides with the launch of “Give Like Dolly Day,” a new annual observance honoring her legacy.
The Film and Its Legacy
9 to 5, directed by Colin Higgins, starred Parton alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin as three office workers who conspire to get even with their tyrannical boss, played by Dabney Coleman. It was Parton’s film debut and became a massive commercial and cultural success. The newly restored version will run in theaters through October 15.
The title song, written and performed by Parton, reached number one on both the country and pop charts and earned her two Grammy Awards as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. The film’s combination of comedy, workplace satire, and Parton’s breakout performance made it a defining piece of 1980s popular culture that has endured across decades.
Parton’s Death and How She Is Being Remembered
Parton died on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80. In the weeks that followed, tributes came from across the entertainment world. Jane Fonda, who starred alongside Parton in 9 to 5, offered a personal tribute, writing: “Let’s be grateful for all that she has left us to ease our sadness now. I never knew anyone like her.” The outpouring reached well beyond her co-stars, with country stars from across multiple generations sharing memories and recordings of how Parton shaped their careers.
Her Hollywood star on the Walk of Fame became a site of public mourning in the days after her death, as fans gathered to leave flowers, notes, and candles in her memory. Disney’s decision to bring 9 to 5 back to theaters reflects the breadth of Parton’s cultural footprint across film, music, and philanthropy. Her first posthumous song, released in the weeks following her death, demonstrated the continued public appetite for her artistry.
The Imagination Library
The Imagination Library, administered through The Dollywood Foundation, mails free books monthly to enrolled children from birth through age five. Parton launched the program in 1995 in Sevier County, Tennessee, her home county, with the goal of improving childhood literacy and encouraging a love of reading. The program has since expanded to communities across the United States and internationally, having distributed more than 300 million books to date. It currently ships approximately 3 million books per month.
Parton’s message for the program centered on encouraging children to “dream more, learn more, care more and be more.” The theatrical proceeds from the 9 to 5 rerelease will support the foundation’s ongoing distribution efforts, connecting her cultural legacy as a performer directly to the charitable work she prioritized throughout her life.
Give Like Dolly Day
September 25 has been designated “Give Like Dolly Day,” a new annual initiative announced on the same day as the theatrical rerelease campaign. The observance is framed as a way for the public to honor Parton’s spirit of generosity by participating in acts of giving, charity, or community service. The date, 9/25, serves as a permanent marker for the initiative.
The combination of the theatrical rerelease, the Imagination Library fundraising, and the Give Like Dolly Day launch positions 9 to 5 not just as a nostalgic cinematic event but as a vehicle for sustaining the work Parton valued most. Tickets for the October 9–15 run are available through theater chains nationwide. No special events or post-screening programming have been announced.
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