A new Dirty Dancing sequel is officially in the works— and Jennifer Grey is due to return for it!
According to Deadline, Lionsgate is currently working on a sequel to the iconic romance drama, Dirty Dancing.
Studio CEO Jon Feltheimer confirmed the news during an earnings call which took place on Thursday (August 6).
“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,” promised Feltheimer.
One thing that will likely excite fans of the original 1987 film is word that actress Jennifer Grey is officially on board to return both in a starring role, and as an executive producer on the project.
Grey, of course, starred in the original film as Frances “Baby” Houseman— a rich girl who winds up falling in love with a camp dance instructor named Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) while vacationing with her family out at the Catskills over the summer.
Behind the camera, Jonathan Levine (Warm Bodies) and Gillian Bohrer will serve as directors for the Dirty Dancing sequel. Meanwhile, Mike Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis (Five Feet Apart) are set to write the screenplay for the sequel.
Plot details surrounding the sequel are scarce at the moment, so it’ll be interesting to find out more about what we can expect from the film as it moves further and further into production.
It’ll also be interesting to see how and if they address Swayze’s Johnny Castle. Swayze, who starred opposite Grey in the original film passed away from pancreatic cancer in September 2009.
This isn’t the first time Lionsgate has revisited the film. The studio previously released Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, a sequel of sorts to the 1987 movie back in 2004. The sequel was followed up by Dirty Dancing 3: Capoeira Nights, which debuted back in 2010. Finally, a made for TV version of the movie debuted in 2017 via ABC.
Currently, there’s no word with regards to when we might expect to see the Dirty Dancing sequel starring Jennifer Grey hit the big screen.