#Dirty Dancing 2 Is Officially Happening with Original Star Jennifer Grey

Because having the time of your life just once was not enough, a sequel to the 1987 romantic hit, Dirty Dancing, has now been confirmed to be coming from Lionsgate. And, because nobody puts baby in the corner, star of the original movie, Jennifer Grey, has also been confirmed to return. The news comes following weeks of rumors that a Dirty Dancing 2 would be sashaying its way onto the silver screen.

Along with the news that Jennifer Grey will reprise her role as Frances “Baby” Houseman, Dirty Dancing 2 will reportedly be produced by Jonathan Levine, whose previous directing credits include the Seth Rogen comedies 50/50 and Long Shot, as well as the zombie rom-com Warm Bodies from 2013. Levine will produce the project alongside Gillian Bohrer from a screenplay by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis (Five Feet Apart, The Curse of La LLorona). Jennifer Grey will also be executive producing. Currently, there is no word on who will direct, what the story will be, or any of the rest of the cast beyond Grey.

The Dirty Dancing sequel announcement comes courtesy of Lionsgate’s CEO, Jon Feltheimer, who revealed the news during a recent earnings call that saw the studio’s quarter saved by home video. During that time, the studio ventured into Watch Party-style livestreams, something that has become hugely popular over the last few months, with one of them being Dirty Dancing.

“It will be exactly the kind of romantic, nostalgic movie that the franchise’s fans have been waiting for and that have made it the biggest-selling library title in the Company’s history,” CEO Jon Feltheimer has promised of the Dirty Dancing sequel.

The first Dirty Dancing has become something of a cultural staple, even all these years later. Grossing $218 million at the global box office off a $5M production cost, Dirty Dancing won an Oscar and Golden Globe for the original song “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” by Frank Previte, John DeNicola and Donald Markowitz. The movie follows Frances “Baby” Houseman who, while holidaying with her parents at a placid resort, becomes smitten with the resort’s rebellious dance instructor. Her father opposes their relationship which creates a rift between him and her. Dirty Dancing was directed by Emile Ardolino and stars Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Cynthia Rhodes, Jerry Orbach, Jane Brucker, Jack Weston, Lonny Price, and Kelly Bishop.

Patrick Swayze sadly passed away in 2009 and it is unknown at this stage how his absence will be addressed in the upcoming sequel.

Continuing the Dirty Dancing franchise has been tried before, with the 2004 prequel Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights as well as a more recent TV movie remake. Both attempts failed to ignite the series in the way the studio had wanted, with the movies lacking enough connections to the beloved original to tempt audiences in. With what sounds like a straight-up sequel, along with the trend for 80s nostalgia, this new approach to the Dirty Dancing franchise could finally be making the right moves. This comes to us from Deadline.

Topics: Dirty Dancing, Dirty Dancing 2