The long-awaited “Dirty Dancing” sequel, with star Jennifer Grey returning as Frances “Baby” Houseman, will soon mambo its way into movie theaters.
Lionsgate has tapped “The Hunger Games” and “Crazy Rich Asians” producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson to oversee the movie, with the studio eyeing a start of production later this year. The screenplay will be written by Emmy and Golden Globe nominee and 2025 Humanitas Prize winner Kim Rosenstock (“Dying for Sex”).
“’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,” Adam Fogelson, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair, said of the new developments.
“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,” Fogelson continued. “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.”
“Dirty Dancing” — a Catskills-set love affair between a teenager (Grey) and her dance instructor (Patrick Swayze) — premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 12, 1987, and was released in theaters that summer, earning over $214 million worldwide. In 2024, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” The soundtrack, which featured Grammy and Oscar-winning song “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” spent 18 weeks at the top of the Billboard charts and went platinum 14 times. The franchise has since expanded to include a 1988 television series (which featured Swayze), multiple reality competition shows, a 2004 prequel (“Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights”), a stage production and a made-for-television musical adaptation in 2017.
The new “Dirty Dancing” movie was announced in 2020 with Grey attached to star and executive produce, but the studio pushed back a planned 2024 release due to the Hollywood strikes. Jonathan Levine was originally set to direct the project, but will stay on as an executive producer.
“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,” Grey said about her decision to return. “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!”
Jacobson and Simpson are currently producing “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” for Lionsgate, which is set to release in theaters on Nov. 20. The PGA and Emmy-winning duo also serve as executive producers of Ryan Murphy’s upcoming FX series “Love Story: John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette,” alongside Rosenstock.
“’Dirty Dancing’ is that rare film that is as emotional, exhilarating, and rebellious today as it was the year it was released,” said Jacobson on behalf of her Color Force partner Simpson. “To be able to work with Jennifer Grey and Lionsgate on the sequel is a genuine joy for Brad and me. We feel so fortunate to have been invited back to Kellerman’s for one more dance.”
Rosenstock is the co-creator of the hit Hulu series “Dying for Sex,” starring Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate. She previously served as a writer and producer on “Only Murders in the Building,” “GLOW,” “Single Parents” and “New Girl.” Rosenstock is represented by WME, Mosaic and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.
Meredith Wieck and Maria Ascanio will oversee the project for Lionsgate. The deals were struck by Phil Strina for Lionsgate.
English (US) ·