Nearly four decades after Dirty Dancing became a nostalgic treat for movie fans, Lionsgate has officially confirmed that the long-awaited sequel to the film is on the way and that Jennifer Gray will return to her iconic role as Frances “Baby” Houseman.
Although rumors circulated several years ago about the intention to resume the story that caused a sensation in the 80s, the project was delayed and there was no further news until this Tuesday, January 27.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the sequel already has confirmed producers and scriptwriter and aims to begin filming later this year.
Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson, responsible for hits such as The Hunger Games and Crazy Rich Asians, have joined as producers through their company Color Force, while the script will be written by Kim Rosenstock, creator of the Dying for Sex series.Jennifer Grey, in addition to starring in the film, will participate as executive producer.
Lionsgate confirmed to the press that preparations are “advancing at full speed,” although it has not yet been announced who will direct the film.
Jonathan Levine, who had previously been attached as director, will remain attached to the project solely as executive producer.Meredith Wieck and Maria Ascanio will oversee the studio’s development of the film, while Phil Strina was in charge of negotiating the deals on behalf of Lionsgate.
Adam Fogelson, president of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, highlights the importance of the project and the validity of Dirty Dancing through the years.
“Dirty Dancing remains as beloved today as it was when it premiered, and we knew a very special group of people had to come together for fans to embrace a return to Kellerman’s,” he said in a statement.
For Jennifer Grey, playing Baby again was an opportunity she pondered for a long time.The actress, who is now 65 years old, spoke about what this return means and the responsibility of continuing such an emblematic story.
“The role of Baby has held a very deep and meaningful place in my heart, as it has in the hearts of so many fans over the years. For a long time I wondered where we might find Baby years later and what her life would be like, but it took time to gather the people I felt I could trust to build on the legacy of the original film… and I’m excited to say that it looks like the wait will soon be over,” she celebrated in a press release.
Gray herself was the one who, in 2020, announced that a sequel to Dirty Dancing was in the works.However, he always made it clear that it would not be about replicating the original magic or the relationship with Patrick Swayze, who died in 2009.
“There’s no way to replace someone who’s passed away; you never try to repeat something that was magical. You just go for something different,” he told PEOPLE at the time.
Dirty Dancing, released on August 21, 1987, was directed by EmileArdolino and written by Eleanor Bergstein, inspired by personal experiences from her childhood.Set in the summer of 1963, the film follows Frances “Baby” Houseman, a middle-class young woman who, during a family vacation at a resort in the Catskills, falls in love with the charismatic dance instructor Johnny Castle, played by Swayze.
In addition to the romance of the protagonists, the film addressed topics such as class differences, personal awakening, abortion and the transition to adulthood, all crossed by music and dance.
Against all odds, it became one of the biggest hits of the 1980s: it grossed more than $214 million worldwide—about $608 million adjusted for current inflation—and won the Oscar for Best Original Song for “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.”
The success gave rise to a franchise that included a television series in 1988, the prequel Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights in 2004, a theatrical musical with sold-out performances in different countries and a television remake broadcast by ABC in 2017.
