'Dirty Dancing' sequel starring Jennifer Grey announced 33 years after original
Get ready to have the time of your life -- again. Lionsgate announced Thursday that a sequel to the hit 1987 film "Dirty Dancing" with original star Jennifer Grey is officially in the works.
"And to reveal one of the worst-kept secrets in Hollywood, we're pleased to confirm that Jennifer Grey will both executive produce and star in a new 'Dirty Dancing' movie for Lionsgate," John Feltheimer, CEO of Lionsgate, said.
"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 added, noting that Jonathan Levine is attached to produce.
Grey -- who won season 11 of "Dancing With the Stars" in 2010 -- starred as Frances "Baby" Houseman in the classic film. While on vacation with her family, she falls in love with the resort's dance instructor, Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze). Swayze died from pancreatic cancer in 2009 at 57.
The film, written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, was massively popular. Its iconic song, "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a Grammy.
While no direct sequel has been made until now, CBS aired a short-lived TV series based on the film, which ran from 1988 to 1989 starring Melora Hardin and Patrick Cassidy. There was also a re-imagining of the original film with 2004's "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights," starring Romola Garai and Diego Luna. In 2017, ABC aired a made-for-TV remake starring Abigail Breslin and Colt Prattes.
