It’s hard to argue that one of the most beloved movies of the 1980s is “Dirty Dancing” and Lionsgate has been developing a direct sequel for years. Production is now expected to begin this year as the project is headed to the Cannes Market.
Deadline reports that the sequel from director Jonathan Levine (“50/50“) with star Jennifer Grey reprising the role of Frances “Baby” Houseman will return to Kellerman’s in the 1990s. The untitled sequel will be “a coming-of-age romance centered on the experience of a young woman at the summer camp, but Baby’s own journey will intertwine with this to create a multi-layered narrative.”
Another interesting tidbit dropped is that while original music will make a return, as well as ’90s hip-hop, Levine name-checked Alanis Morisette and Liz Phair as artists whose songs could potentially feature in the sequel.
The “Dirty Dancing” sequel was co-written by Levine and Elizabeth Chomko with an expectation to begin shooting later this year for a release sometime in 2024. While they’ve teased the return of other unnamed cast members, with the passing of Grey’s co-star Patrick Swayze in 2009 we won’t see Baby and Johnny reunite. Likely for the best that they won’t attempt a recasting.
Levine and Lionsgate previously worked together on the 2019 romantic comedy “Long Shot” that starred Seth Rogen and Oscar-winner Charlize Theron. The filmmaker has a great eye for comedies going back to the underrated 1990s-set coming-of-age movie “The Wackness,” which is worth checking out if you completely missed that little gem.
Here is the synopsis of “Dirty Dancing” if you’re unfamiliar with the ’80s classic:
Baby is one listless summer away from the Peace Corps. Hoping to enjoy her youth while it lasts, she’s disappointed when her summer plans deposit her at a sleepy resort in the Catskills with her parents. Her luck turns around, however, when the resort’s dance instructor, Johnny, enlists Baby as his new partner, and the two fall in love. Baby’s father forbids her from seeing Johnny, but she’s determined to help him perform the last big dance of the summer.
“Dirty Dancing” originally debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 1987 and could hypothetically make a return with its sequel.