Jennifer Grey brings Baby back as ‘Dirty Dancing’ sequel prepares to roll cameras — what we know so far
Lionsgate recently announced that the highly anticipated sequel to the 1987 classic 'Dirty Dancing' is progressing rapidly. Although an official release window has yet to be announced, The Hollywood Reporter claims that production on the dance-drama movie's second instalment is set to begin later this year. Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson are producers on the project, while Kim Rosenstock is writing the screenplay.
Grey portrayed the character of Frances 'Baby' Houseman in the original movie. The plot of the movie follows Baby falling in love with her dance instructor Johnny Castle, played by the late Patrick Swayze, at the Kellerman's resort. The film's timeline was set against the backdrop of the 1960s. Upon its release, the film was met with widespread acclaim, eventually grossing $214 million at the box office, which amounts to an impressive $608 million in today's currency after inflation.
Furthermore, the track '(I've Had) The Time of My Life' was a massive chart hit and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. 'Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights' was the prequel released in 2004, and the franchise has since lived on through a 2017 ABC television remake and a stage musical. Deadline revealed that the upcoming sequel movie is being produced by Color Force, which is owned by Jacobson and Simpson and has produced 'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping'. Rosenstock, on the other hand, is a 2025 Humanitas Prize winner and has been nominated for both the Emmys and the Golden Globes. With such an illustrious cast and crew, one might speculate that the sequel would be a rousing box-office hit.
Adam Fogelson, the Motion Picture Group chair at Lionsgate, recently released a statement about the film, "Dirty Dancing remains as beloved today as it was upon its initial release, and we knew that a very special group of people would have to come together for fans to embrace a return to Kellerman’s. We are beyond thrilled to announce we have assembled the perfect team to carry this film forward in partnership with Jennifer Grey. There are no better producers for this movie than our longtime partners and friends, Nina and Brad from The Hunger Games, and we could not be more excited to have Kim coming on board to write. With this super team now in place, we are moving full steam ahead so that both existing fans and new audiences can discover the magic, the music, and the emotion that is Dirty Dancing in a new theatrical film meant for the big screen.”
Speaking about her deep connection to her character, Grey further added, "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. I’ve long wondered where we might find Baby years later and what her life might be like, but it’s taken time to assemble the kind of people that I felt could be entrusted 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!” 'Dirty Dancing' is available for streaming on Apple TV.
