That bizarre fan theory about “Grease” that says Sandy was in a coma the whole movie, and dies at the end? Nope, not true, at least according to the guy who literally wrote the book on the subject: “Grease” co-creator Jim Jacobs.
TMZ got in touch with Jacobs, who wrote the original version of the musical (along with Warren Casey), to get to the truth of the matter.
Jacobs is pretty sure whoever came up with the theory that Sandy actually drowned, and that the entire movie is her waterlogged synapses short-circuiting before she dies and ascends to heaven in a flying car, was on acid.
Now, Jacobs co-wrote the original musical in 1971. This particular fan theory pertains to the 1978 movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, and there are significant differences between the two works, including the closing image of a flying car (impractical for a stage musical in 1971) upon which much of the current “Grease” theory rests.
And after all, the point of fan theories is that they seldom depend on the intent of the creator. Like so many other theories that have been debunked, the odds of this one sticking around, floating to the top of your grandchild’s “Grease” Google search, are pretty decent.
9 Crazy Fan Theories About Classic Movies, From 'Grease' to 'The Wizard of Oz' (Photos)
There's something about old movies that provokes fans to reinterpret major plot points. Just consider the following ...
"Grease" The 1978 musical starred Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta as high-school lovers Sandy and Danny. But what if ... Sandy was DEAD through the whole thing? Sarah Michelle Gellar wrote a post expressing amazement at the fan theory.
"The Wizard of Oz" This one is really weird. According to a Usenet discussion group theory from the 1990s, Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" album pairs perfectly with the 1939 movie when both are played together simultaneously. The band's drummer later joked their album was really based on "The Sound of Music."
"Ferris Bueller's Day Off" The movie seems like harmless teenage escapism, but this theory has it that poor Ferris is actually a figment of the imagination of his tortured buddy, Cameron.
"The Karate Kid" Danny, played by Ralph Macchio, is supposedly the hero of this coming-of-age classic. But what if he was actually the bully who picked on fair-haired boy Johnny? Depends on your perspective!
"Little Mermaid" What if the sunken ship Ariel visits in this Disney classic was actually ....
"Frozen" ... the very same ship that sunk in THIS Disney movie, killing Elsa and Anna's parents and setting up the whole plot? Discuss.
"Mary Poppins" She might be a Time Lord, one of the extraterrestrial people from "Doctor Who." At least that's one of the more popular Reddit fan theories, which you can check out here.
"Harry Potter" franchise That Harry Potter sure does have an active social life. Or does he? What if he's really a warped mental patient? (Or alternatively, what if Voldemort was really ... Hitler?)
"Star Wars" Remember Obi-Wan Kenobi? It's possible, just possible, that he wasn't a wise man but merely a robot clone.