Get ready to once again, have the time of your life. Thirty-five years after the original,Dirty Dancingis officially getting a sequel withJennifer Greyset to return. The film was firstreported to be in developmentback in August 2020, but yesterday during their presentation atCinemaCon, Lionsgate officially confirmed that the film is coming.
Not much is known about the sequel beyond Grey’s involvement. According to reports from Lionsgate’s presentation, the announcement was made by showing footage from the original movie with a voice-over saying “Jennifer Grey returns to Kellerman’s in the next chapter.” Kellerman’s is the name of the resort the first film takes place at. When news of the sequel was first reported back in 2020,Jonathan Levine(50/50,Warm Bodies) was said to be attached to direct, but it is unknown if that is still the case.
The original 1987 classic saw Grey playing Frances “Baby” Houseman, a young woman, who while spending the summer at a resort in the Catskills with her family, falls in love with dance instructor Johnny Castle played by the late-greatPatrick Swayze.Dirty Dancingis full of iconic movie moments that still have a stranglehold on modern culture. From “Nobody puts Baby in a corner” to the lift in the final dance routine to the film’s Academy Award-winning song “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.” It’ll definitely be a challenge for the sequel to live up to those moments.
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Although this will be the first direct sequel, the originalDirty Dancinghas spawned a lot of content across different forms of media. First, there was a TV series based on the film that aired in 1988 but was canceled after only ten episodes. 2004 saw the release ofDirty Dancing: Havana Nights, a prequel that was largely unconnected from the original apart from a cameo by Swayze. Also in 2004, a stage version of the film began to be performed in Australia and would eventually begin a world tour. Lastly, in 2017 ABC released a made-for-tv musical reimagining of the film starring Academy Award nomineeAbigail Breslinas Baby.
Appearing as Baby inDirty Dancingis hardly Grey’s only iconic role. She also played Ferris Buller’s sister in the beloved 80s comedyFerris Buller’s Day Off. She also has appeared in films likeRed DawnandThe Wind Risesand has had recurring roles in shows likeRed Oaks, andIt’s Like, You Know…
Stay tuned to Collider for any future updates on this upcoming project as other cast and crew begin to get announced!
