©Courtesy of Vestron Pictures
Lionsgate is moving forward on a sequel to Dirty Dancing, the classic film originally released in 1987. Jennifer Grey will be reprising her role as Frances “Baby” Houseman, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. Grey will also be joining Jonathan Levine as an executive producer.
The script for the sequel will be written by Kim Rosenstock, an Emmy and Golden Globe nominee as well as the winner of the 2025 Humanitas Prize. Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson, the producers of Crazy Rich Asians, have been selected to produce the sequel. The two are currently producing The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping and both are executive producers on the upcoming Love Story: John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.
In an official statement, Adam Fogelson, chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said “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.”
Fogelson continued: “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.”
Jennifer Grey was quoted as saying; “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!”
The original Dirty Dancing movie from 1987 narrated the story of Baby and her relationship with dance instructor Johnny Castle, played by Patrick Swayze. It earned $214 million globally, the equivalent of $608 million in 2026 dollars. It won an Oscar for best song, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.” A prequel, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, was released in 2004, followed by a stage musical and a 2017 remake for ABC-TV.
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