The '80s were a long time ago – so if you’re, understandably, long past being able to pull off ‘The Lift’, you’d better start practicing. That’s because Dirty Dancing is officially making a comeback – with Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer confirming what he calls “one of the worst kept secrets in Hollywood”. As reported by Deadline, the no-longer-a-secret is that a new Dirty Dancing movie – presumably a sequel – is on the way, with none other than Baby herself, Jennifer Grey, on board to star and produce. Who’s ready to have the time of their life?
Little is known about the exact nature of the film, though the fact that Grey is starring indicates a sequel – one that could bring back some of the original characters, while perhaps shifting the story forward a generation. What we do know is that director Jonathan Levine – previously behind Warm Bodies, 50/50, and last year’s very funny gross-out rom-com Long Shot – is set to helm the project, working with producer Gillian Bohrer, and a screenplay penned by Mikki Daughty and Tobias Iaconis. “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,” Feltheimer said on a recent Lionsgate earnings call.
If Grey is returning, there is of course a Patrick Swayze-shaped hole to fill – the beloved actor having tragically passed away far too soon, just over a decade ago. Stay tuned for more casting updates – and let’s all hope this one doesn’t go the same way as 2004’s not-so-fondly-remembered Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.